
Class. 
Book_ 

Copyrigiit]^!' 



' 6 H^ i 



^IsS--. 



COIVRIGHT OEFOBir. 



WILLIAM WHITMAN COMPANY, Inc. 







^1 








v^ 



i 



4 






m 



if. 

1 



I 






WOOL AND COTTON 

in all forms from 

YARN TO FABRIC 






William Whitman Company, inc. 

Offices 

Boston: 78 Chauncy Street New York: 25 Madison Avenue 

Chicago : Continental and Commercial Bank Building 

Philadelphia: 300 Chestnut Street 

Mills 

Lawrence, Mass. New Bedford, Mass. 



Manomel Mills 
Nonquitt Spinning Company 



Arlington Mills Acadia Mills 

Mononiac Spinning Company 

Katama Mills iNasli 

South Carolina 

Calhoun Mills, Calhoun Falls Mary Louise Mills, Cowpeni 



I Mills 




M 

m 



i 



III 



vJ' 



Copyrighc, 1921, by William Whil..ian Company. In 



-7 1921 



,A608577 



m m 



WILLIAM WHITMAN COMPANY, Inc. 

Following is a Condensed Summary 
OF ITS Activities 

WOOL TOPS 

Wool Combing on Commission 

Cleansing by the Naphtha Solvent Process 

WORSTED YARNS 
MERINO YARNS 

In All Counts, Grades and Kinds for All Purposes 

COTTON YARNS 

Combed and. Carded 

Gray, Bleached, Dyed, Mercerized 

In All Counts, Grades and Kinds for All Purposes 

WORSTED AND MIXED FABRICS 
In Every Variety 

COTTON FABRICS 

In All Forms and for All Purposes 

FINE GOODS 

In All Cotton and in Cotton and Silk 

TIRE FABRICS 



tf- 



IS «, 



The group of mills represented by William Whitman Company, 
Inc., by size, modernity and system commands a wide field of Wool 
and Cotton manufacture, from the yarn for practically every trade pur- 
pose to finished fabrics of actually unlimited variety. It includes 
also quite a range of silk manufacture. The system provides against 
duplication of product. Each mill has its own special business. 

In Lawrence, Massachusetts, are: 

The Arlington Mills, producing Wool Tops and Worsted 
Fabrics of all kinds. 

The Acadia Mills, producing Processed Cotton \arns, Mercer- 
ized, Bleached and Dyed. 

The Monomac Spinning Company, producing Worsted and 
Merino Yarns. 

The Katama Mills, producing Tire Fabrics and other heavy 
Cotton Fabrics. 

In New Bedford, Massachusetts, are: 

The Manomet Mills, producing high-grade Combed Cotton 

Yarns in the gray, in medium counts. 
The Nashawena Mills, producing all Cotton, and Cotton and 

Silk Fabrics, both staple and fancy, and making any kind of 

design to order. 
The Nonquitt Spinning Company, producing high-grade 

Combed Cotton Yarns in the gray, in fine counts. 

The business now conducted by William Whitman Company, Inc., 
was originally established in 1887, although William Whitman, the 
president of the corporation, has served as treasurer or president or 
active director of the Arlington Mills since 1867. 

During the twenty-six years from 1887-1913, the business was 
conducted by various partnerships of which William Whitman was a 
member and the guiding spirit. In November, 191.3, the business 
was incorporated under the laws of Massachusetts. 

[ 10 ] 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 

WILLIAM WHITMAN COMPANY, INCORPORATED 

Past 

Condensed Summary of Activities 9 

The -'Quality" Mills 10 

Officers and Directors 14 

Eight Rules Adopted for Guidance in Conducting Business 15 

The Rule of Honor 16 

The Rule of Service ... 18 

The Rule of Quality 19 

The Rule of L niformity 20 

The Rule of Co-operation .... .20 

The Rule of Cleanliness 22 

The Rule of Hygiene 2.5 

The Rule of Vigilance 24 

Climatic Conditions 25 

Award for Distinguished War Service 27 

ARLINGTON MILLS 

Officers and Directors 30 

The Arlington Mills 31 

Worsted Cloth, Cotton- Warp Worsted Fabrics, Staple and Fancy . . . . 31 

Arlington Mills Worsted Yarn Spinning 33 

Arlington Weaves 39 

Finishing Arlington Fabrics 40 

Wool Top 45 

Handling Wool on Commission 46 

Sorting Wool on Commission .... 47 

The Solvent Process for Cleansing Wool 47 

Arlington Wool Washing 49 

"Conditioning" Wool . 51 

List of Arlington Fabrics 53 

MONOMAC SPINNING COMPANY 

Officers and Directors 58 

Monomac Spinning Company Products 59 

Monomac Worsted Yarns 59 

Monomac Merino \ arns 59 

Monomac Single Warp Yarns 64 

List of Monomac Yarns 65 



[11] 



TABLE OF CONTEl^TS — Continued 
COTTON YARNS OF THE WHITMAN GROUP OF MILLS 

Page 

Cotton Yarns of the Whitman Group of Mills 68 

Uses of Cotton Yarns 69 

Cotton Yarns for Knitting 70 

Cotton Yarns for Weaving 71 

Underwear Yarns 72 

Hosiery Yarns 73 

Cotton Yarns for Silk-Filling 73 

Cotton Yarns for Webbing and Braiding 74 

Cotton Yarns for Electrical Trade 75 

Sewing and Shoe Thread for Manufacturers 75 

Tire Fabric Yarns 75 

Knots 76 

Mule-spun Cotton Yarns 78 

MANOMET MILLS 

Officers and Directors 80 

Manomet Mills Product 83 

NONQUITT SPINNING COMPANY 

Officers and Directors 86 

Nonquitt Spinning Company Product 89 

ACADIA MILLS 

Officers and Directors 95 

The Acadia Mills 97 

Acadia Mills Processed Cotton Yarns 97 

Acadia Mills Mercerizing 98 

Acadia Mills Mercerized Cotton Yarns 99 

Acadia Mills Bleached Cotton Yarns 101 

Acadia Mills Dyed Cotton Yarns 103 

Acadia Mills Put-ups 106 

GRADES OF COMBED COTTON YARNS 

Grades and Classified Lists of Cotton Yarns 107 

Manomet Mills, Description of Grades 108 

Manomet Mills Tire Yarns 109 

Nonquitt Spinning Company, Description of Grades 110 

Acadia Mills, Description of Grades in Mercerized Yarns Ill 

Acadia Mills, Description of Grades in Bleached Yarns 112 

Thread Yarns, Description of Grades 113 

[12] 



TABLE OF CONTENTS — Continued 

^1 — — ■^^-' 

GRADES OF COMBED COTTON YARNS— Com imted 

Page 

Charts Showing the Quality Mills Combed Cotton Yarns 115 

Methods of Packing 121 

CARDED COTTON YARNS 

William Whitman Company Carded Cotton Yarns Department 127 

Charts of Carded Cotton Yarns handled by William Wliitman Company as Traders 129 

MARY LOUISE MILLS 
Mary Louise Mills, Description 132 

NASHAWENA MILLS 

Officers and Directors 137 

Nashawena Mills Woven Fabrics, All Cotton. Silk and Cotton 138 

Nashawena Mills Gray Goods 139 

Nashawena Mills Fine Goods in the Gray 139 

Nashawena Mills Silk and Cotton Fabrics 141 

Nashawena Yarns 142 

Nashawena Silk 142 

Nashawena Weaving 143 

Nashawena Staples 151 

Nashawena Venetians 151 

Nashawena Voiles 151 

Nashawena Crepes 153 

Nashawena Poplins, Lawns, and Organdies 153 

Nashawena Mechanical Fabrics 155 

Nashawena Designs 157 

List of Nashawena Fabrics 159 

KATAMA MILLS 

Officers and Directors 165 

Katama Mills Product 167 

Katama Mills Tire Fabric 167 

List of Katama Fabrics 170 

CALHOUN MILLS 

Officers and Directors 173 

Calhoun Mills, Description 174 

COTTON STORAGE 
Belleville Warehouse Company 175 



[13] 



n ^ 

WILLIAM WHITMAN COMPANY, Inc. 

rrx r ■. Ml. ^ ■ \ $7,500,000 Preferred 

1 he Capital block is ■ 

( 12,500,000 Lommon 

OFFICERS 

The Officers of WilHam Whitman Company, Inc., 

are as follows: 

President: William Whitman Boston, Mass. 

Treasurer: Nelson A. Hallett Boston, Mass. 

Assistant Treasurer: Alfred A. Whitman, 25 Madison Avenue, 
New York, N. Y. 

Vice-President: Arthur T. Bradlee Boston, Mass. 

Vice-President: Malcolm D. Whitman. . . .New York, N. Y. 

Vice-President : William Whitman, Jr Boston, Mass. 

Vice-President: Hendricks H. Whitman Boston, Mass. 

Clerk: Frank C. Chamberlain Boston, Mass. 

DIRECTORS 

Arthur T. Bradlee Boston, Mass. 

William W. Coriell New York, N. Y. 

Louis H. Fitch Boston, Mass. 

Nelson A. Hallett Boston, Mass. 

Frank E. Leaycraft New York, N. Y. 

George H. Waterman Boston, Mass. 

Hendricks H. Whitman Boston, Mass. 

Malcolm D. Whitman New York, N. Y. 

William Whitman, Jr Boston, Mass. 

William Whitman Boston, Mass. 

^^^, — (j^ 



-V, vi — >J ,1)f - 



Eight Rules Adopted for 

Guidance in 
Conducting our Business 







THE RULE OF HONOR 

The fundamental principles of permanently successful business 
are the same now as yesterday, and will remain the same forever. 
The undertaking that is based on wrong principles has decay at its 
heart, and cannot last. Honor is the one and only true basis on which 
an enduring mercantile edifice can be reared. 

Character and Honor are synonymous. Character has been de- 
scribed as the power to make talent trusted. Our country's vast 
volume of business, so immense that it cannot be comprehended in 
its entirety, nor conveyed to the mind by statistical exhibits, is con- 
ducted in part without written contracts of any kind and in larger 
part under contracts that though written may not always be legally 
binding. Their validity depends on the man who makes a contract, 
rather than on contracts themselves. 

Even a legal contract is ever subject to sophistical interpretations 
or evasions if any party to it is so minded. The reliable quality of 
any form of agreement is not its letter, but its spirit ; and there is no 
guaranty of that spirit except the character of the men concerned in 
a transaction. 

To make any statement that is only literally and not morally true; 
to make any agreement or promise without full reason to believe that 
it can be made good; to distinguish as between the obligation ex- 
pressed in a note and the moral obligation of any maturing debt of 
any kind; to undermine the integrity of a national industry by in- 
sidious depreciation of quality in product — these are the sure enemies 
of reputation and credit. The rule of honor commands faithful per- 
formance. It dictates that we shall be always ready to risk financial 
loss rather than to lose our self-respect. 

Maintenance of so high a standard of mercantile honor is essential 
to the credit which binds business intercourse. Our material pros- 
perity both as individuals and as a nation is absolutely dependent on 
it. Our great achievements of industrial science and our triumphs of 
business enterprise could not have developed without conditions that 
justified trust; and even if they could have developed, they could not 

[16] 



in themselves have made the America of today. Honor is the very hfe 
of it. It is the background of our present, and the assurance of our 
future. 

It has been my fortune to know the America of the past. I well 
remember the great wool-spinning wheel which stood in my grand- 
mother's kitchen and supplied all the yarn for the family home-spun. 
I have seen America grow out of that era of pastoral self-help through 
the eras of wood, iron and steel, from hand and water power to steam, 
gasoline and electricity, and from individual localized industry to 
vast production in concentrated mass. Yet in all these changes, 
astounding almost beyond belief even by myself who have played 
a part in them, I have seen no change in the simple rules that dictate 
the conduct of men toward each other. Profit is the practical measure 
by which we must estimate success in the methods of business; but 
the success of American commerce and industry would be ephemeral 
indeed, if it were merely a money success. The true success is in the 
integrity of the whole great structure. 

The measure of our honor is the pride that we can take in the 
structure we have helped to rear. Business demands heart work as 
well as head work. Ideals in business are not unpractical. They are 
good business. America has become what it is by continually 
turning ideals into realities; and duty and self-interest impel us to 
continue this work of making a practical tomorrow out of the ideal 
of today. 

The high ideal before business today is increasing service. The 
future of business will be determined by the degree in which it meets 
that duty by making itself increasingly useful to all, whether they be 
investor or worker, producer or consumer. Good will must be more 
than passive in these coming years. It must be the great dominant 
energizing factor in all relations. 

The mills and the organizations represented in this book have 
tried since their inception to practice the rules of co-operation between 
themselves and their employees. There has been much to do and there 
remains much to learn. Their ideal has not yet been attained. What 
may have been accomplished thus far is, indeed, only a part of what 
they hope to do as they find themselves able to solve the necessary 
questions of practical ways and means. We feel that this spirit of 
co-operation between all, and especially between the employers and 
employees, can and will be strengthened by time, growth and honest 
effort. 

2Q.7]^ William Whitman 

[17] 



THE RULE OF SERVICE 

The business principle of the organization looks beyond manufac- 
turing and marketing. The user's success in working the product 
easily and economically is the thought that governs mill processes. 

The technical departments do not consider their work done when 
they solve their own problems of manufacture. They study the 
problems of the customer, and endeavor to solve them before the 
product reaches him. 

Through the group there is the purpose to ignore no difficulty, 
whatever it may be. That means in plain language, not to pass 
troubles on to the customer. 

Any new use that develops for yarns, textiles, fabrics or other mill 
product immediately becomes a mill study and every resource is 
mobilized to make the best material for the purpose. 

The three mottoes of the Whitman Company group of mills are : 

" Where Quality Counts " 
"Tell Us What You Want and We Can Make It'' 

"Skill Wins Favor'' 

The executive departments and the offices of the William Whitman 
Company in Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Chicago maintain 
continual telephone communication with each other and with the mills, 
this instantaneous method having long replaced the mails for the or- 
ganization's transaction of all except minor and routine business. 
The practice produces not only quick action but welds all the estab- 
lishments into one well-informed alert whole, accustomed to prompt 
decision. 

Administrative departments have been formed primarily to increase 
service to customers. One of the very effective ones is the Trans- 
portation Department which is in daily communication with all 
managements of the American railroad system in order to insure the 
quickest and most economical deliveries. In cases of interrupted 
freight movements over customary routes this department seeks open 
gateways and if necessary obtains additional or unusual facilities for 
hurrying merchandise either by freight or express. Owing to its 
comprehensive information, it often succeeds in diverting freight in 
event of untoward conditions after shipment, and has managed many 
times to save customers from the loss accruing from idle machinery. 

Prepayment of freight charges is another service adopted to save 
customers expense both of money and of the time and energy wasted 

[18] 



in checking freight vouchers and collecting petty overcharges. A 
system for promptly crediting customers for goods lost or damaged 
in transit saves them similar tedious settlement of claims and also 
relieves them of the burden of having perhaps large sums outstanding. 

Tracing delayed or astray shipments is attended to in a decisive 
way and not by the perfunctory method of simply filing a request 
with the carrier. The shipment is found and expedited, and a com- 
plete system of shipping marks, car numbers and other records aids 
the work. 

Another service staff is in the Statistical Department which in 
addition to gathering general information about raw material and 
textiles, keeps close records of customers" special needs or prefei^ences 
in regard to packing, shipping and other details, and of all products 
ever made for them. 

A Testing Department in the Boston premises of the William 
Whitman Company is equipped with the latest devices for textile 
research and for testing raw cotton, wool, and silk, or yarns and 
fabrics, for quality, grade, counts, twist, elasticity, breaking and 
tearing strength, abrasive resistance, construction, color, etc. Among 
the instruments are a vertical combination yarn and fabric breaker, a 
single strand breaking machine, a skein breaker, a horizontal fabric 
tester, and full sets of instruments for determining twist, thickness, 
and other fine details. All operations are under the same humidity 
control used in the mills and the entire laboratory is sealed in glass 
against the outer atmosphere. 

THE RULE OF QUALITY 

Quality is the one standard of these mills. ''Where Quality Counts" 
is not simply a selling phrase. It is a law. It dictates every procedure 
from the purchase of raw cotton and wool to the delivery of a finished 
product to a customer. 

Every mill grade, quality or brand represents an established and 
definite standard of quality, from the raw material to the finished 
article. 

This standard is invariable, no matter how the conditions of the 
world's raw material may vary at any time. If a mill should at any 
moment find it impossible to get the quality of raw material established 
for a given product, that product would be withdrawn for the time. 

So long as a Whitman's mills' grade is on the market, it maintains 
exactly the standard set for it, and its qualitv is uniform year by year. 

[19] 



The brand on a mill product is not a mere trade-mark. It is a 
pledge. 

There is in operation the sharpest distinction between economy 
and cheapness. It is recognized that quality costs money, and that 
this money-cost is not simply here or there, but must run through all 
the processes, beginning with the purchase of the raw material. 

Intense application of all possible manufacturing economies is made 
to obtain results at the lowest possible cost; but Quality comes first. 

Hence there is in these mills the apparent paradox that though 
they are notable for economy of operation, they pay more for raw 
material, maintain a higher percentage of wasteage and expend more 
than most mills on all processes. But the money is spent where it 
produces something; and the economies are applied where they 
cannot affect quality. 

THE RULE OF UNIFORMITY 

The value of a wool or cotton product to the weaver, knitter, con- 
verter and other user is decided largely by its uniformity. Unequal 
quality, even though it touches high quality now and then, is in its 
final effect a low quality, for it deranges operation and produces con- 
stantly varying results. The Whitman group of mills has developed 
all methods to secure absolute Uniformity as well as Quality. 

Every department in each mill has its own testing service which 
remains in continuous touch with the product while it is in process. 
These separate services are under the controlling supervision of the 
central laboratory in each mill. As a court of final resort there is 
maintained in the Boston offices at No. 78 Chauncy Street, the central 
bureau which is believed to be one of the most complete yarn and 
textile testing laboratories in the country. 

Product is accompanied throughout its entire course by a system 
of record and identification whose leading principle is to imbue the 
work of the mills with personal responsibility. Being developed to 
the point that enables the mill executives to trace any individual put-up 
back through every machine, it is a permanent insurance against 
defective operation anywhere in the equipments. In addition it 
assures accuracy in filling each order. 

THE RULE OF CO-OPERATION 

The mills are each under separate management and under dis- 
tinct ownership, and they are rivals for economy of production and 

[20] 



excellence of output. They work, however, under one large plan of 
scientific operation, and each mill is made the beneficiary of every 
technical improvement developed anywhere in the group. 

The effect is to make the group one great establishment with the 
facilities of many. The mills avoid duplication of product, and 
instead, supplement each other at every point. It is not specialization 
in any narrow sense. In the regular run of operation each mill con- 
centrates on certain manufactures, thus bringing to bear the maximum 
degree of expert knowledge and care; but it retains full scope as an 
independent establishment. 

This point should be remembered in referring to the detailed 
description of mill products in this book. Widely varied though 
they are, they are the result of one harmonious system and principle — 
integrity in selecting raw material and in working it, a scientific 
development of quality, and the best obtainable equipment, human 
and otherwise. 

The group of mills is not only fit to work in. It is fit to live in. 
The statement is made here not as a matter of self-approval, but 
because it is a business fact of significance to customers. 

The quality of any product is inseparable from the conditions under 
which it is manufactured. The best machinery is inefficient except 
under the best human management. A trained worker's faithful at- 
tention is necessary if a thing is to be made as good as it can be made. 

Such intelligent attentiveness can neither be attained or expected 
from workers whose circumstances make for discontent or whose 
tenure of work is insecure. Unsystematic stoppages that cause shifts 
or loss of operatives are destructive of efficient production. In this 
group of mills the first importance attaches to close co-operation 
between the selling, buying and manufacturing departments in order 
to so maintain operations that workers shall have permanent employ- 
ment, and that all departments of manufacture may profit from trained 
operatives whose experience is not wasted by shifts or displacement. 
It is easier for a rich mill to buy fine machinery than it is to create a 
contented and efficient working force. The figures of these mills 
demonstrate that maintenance of steady employment under com- 
fortable conditions has effect on both quality and quantity that cannot 
be obtained otherwise. 

With such an organization, the labor of maintaining uniform stand- 
ards is appreciably lessened, for there is a minimum of trouble from 
careless work. The executives have leisure and energy to consider 
problems, and to experiment for improvements. 

[21] 



THE RULE OF CLEANLINESS 

Tlie time has gone by when dirt was considered a normal element 
of industry, and cleanliness only an unbusinesslike fad designed 
simply to please the eye. Because dirt is expensive and cleanliness 
is good business, the Whitman group of mills are kept permanently 
white inside with fresh paint and enamel ; every possible form of dust 
is removed by blower installations; cleaners with motor-driven 
scrubbing machines, chemicals and other appliances work as con- 
stantly as does the force at the production end; and instead of 
trampled earth and coal-dust, gardens and lawns surround the 
buildings. 

It is true that the expense of cleanliness and paint is heavy; but 
every modern industrial improvement costs money. An advantage of 
brightness that cannot be measured in dollars, is its result on product. 
In an industrv that deals with the thinnest, most attenuated material, 
ample light is a decided factor in quality. Therefore, the Whitman 
group of mills considers natural light a raw material almost equal 
in importance to its cotton, wool and silks. Its value runs through 
every process. Every place in the mills has direct daylight, so that 
the most minute defects are visible. 

The direct effect of cleanliness on product is obvious. No dirty 
overhead drives accumulate oil and dust to be dropped on the material 
imder manufacture. If raw material, rovings, yarns or fabrics acci- 
dentally fall, they fall on a floor where they get soiled as little as if 
they lay on a clean table. By keeping machinery clean, the mills 
eliminate the trouble caused by spattered oil — a fruitful source of 
loss to users, since the spattering from a dirty spindle is invisible in 
detail and therefore may spot thousands of yards of material. 

This strenuous system of cleanliness was considered extravagant 
when it was first instituted. But the mills have so profited from it 
that they are not only maintaining it, but continually seeking to 
accentuate it. One notable effect of it. is the effect on the workers. 
The past years have demonstrated that the old proverb "" Like master, 
like men"may be paraphrased into "Like mill, like men." Sloven- 
liness has practically disappeared from every mill in the group. 

To customers this means not only that they get a good product. 
It means that they have to pay only for effective work. They benefit 
in dollars from the fact that there is little waste in cotton and worsted 
varn manufacture due to defects: that as the raw material passes 
through the mills it becomes progressively cleaner instead of gathering 

[22] 



new dirt : that the finishing departments do not have to wash or scour 
fabrics nearly as much as if the mills were less punctilious about 
cleanliness. 

If a mill is dirty, mill dirt is part of what you buy. You have to 
pay for it. Mill cleanliness, on the other hand, is a dividend shared 
by you. 

THE RULE OF HYGIENE 

While the attitude of the Whitman group of mills toward welfare 
of workers has been dictated primarily by business reasons, it has 
proved itself to be of eminent industrial soundness. Had they 
achieved nothing else, it might still be considered that they had made 
an important contribution to American industrial science by proving 
the fallacy of the old contention that workers are irresponsive to the 
employer's good efforts. 

A suggestion to cut down expenditures for hygiene and comfort 
would be considered by the managements of these mills as absurd as 
a proposal to cease buying new machinery. As already said, sanita- 
tion and brightness make for . satisfactory operation and enhanced 
value of product. Massachusetts State officials have reported that 
these mills provide as healthful conditions as the public schools. As 
a matter of actual statistics, the establishments have nearly double 
the amount of fresh air required by the State laws for school children. 
The space given to the workers is nearly ten times that demanded by 
law for schools. 

The air is purified and kept in constant circulation. Standard 
bubbling fountains are placed everywhere among the machines, 
giving all workers convenient access to water that is filtered and cooled 
to the temperature recommended by hygienic science. A very prac- 
tical benefit is that work is not interrupted by the illnesses that over- 
come factory operatives who have access only to crudely iced water. 

Each mill has its own emergency hospital with beds, under trained 
nurses who have at their command the facilities for aseptic surgery 
and for medical relief. These nurses also superintend the general 
sanitary condition of the entire establishments. 

Besides dressing-rooms there are individual metallic lockers for 
each employee. Women and men attendants maintain wash-rooms, 
etc. in good condition. 

So thoroughly have these matters demonstrated their utility, that 
there is lively rivalry between the various managements for improve- 
ments. A suggestive point is that men who had spent a great part 

[23] 



THE RULE OF CLEANLINESS 

The time has gone by when dirt was considered a normal element 
of industry, and cleanliness only an unbusinesslike fad designed 
simply to please the eye. Because dirt is expensive and cleanliness 
is good business, the Whitman group of mills are kept permanently 
white inside with fresh paint and enamel ; every possible form of dust 
is removed by blower installations; cleaners with motor-driven 
scrubbing machines, chemicals and other appliances work as con- 
stantly as does the force at the production end; and instead of 
trampled earth and coal-dust, gardens and lawns surround the 
buildings. 

It is true that the expense of cleanliness and paint is heavy; but 
every modern industrial improvement costs money. An advantage of 
brightness that cannot be measured in dollars, is its result on product. 
In an industry that deals with the thinnest, most attenuated material, 
ample light is a decided factor in quality. Therefore, the Whitman 
group of mills considers natural light a raw material almost equal 
in importance to its cotton, wool and silks. Its value runs through 
every process. Every place in the mills has direct daylight, so that 
the most minute defects are visible. 

The direct effect of cleanliness on product is obvious. No dirty 
overhead drives accumulate oil and dust to be dropped on the material 
imder manufacture. If raw material, rovings, yarns or fabrics acci- 
dentally fall, they fall on a floor where they get soiled as little as if 
they lay on a clean table. By keeping machinery clean, the mills 
eliminate the trouble caused by spattered oil — a fruitful source of 
loss to users, since the spattering from a dirtv spindle is invisible in 
detail and therefore may spot thousands of yards of material. 

This strenuous system of cleanliness was considered extravagant 
when it was first instituted. But the mills have so profited from it 
that they are not only maintaining it, but continually seeking to 
accentuate it. One notable effect of it, is the effect on the workers. 
The past years have demonstrated that the old proverb '"Like master, 
like men "may be paraphrased into "Like mill, like men." Sloven- 
liness has practically disappeared from every mill in the group. 

To customers this means not only that they get a good product. 
It means that they have to pay only for effective work. They benefit 
in dollars from the fact that there is little waste in cotton and worsted 
yarn manufacture due to defects: that as the raw material passes 
through the mills it becomes progressively cleaner instead of gathering 

[22] 



new dirt : that the finishing departments do not have to wash or scour 
fabrics nearly as much as if the mills were less punctilious about 
cleanliness. 

If a mill is dirty, mill dirt is part of what you buy. You have to 
pay for it. Mill cleanliness, on the other hand, is a dividend shared 
by you. 

THE RULE OF HYGIENE 

While the attitude of the Whitman group of mills toward welfare 
of workers has been dictated primarily by business reasons, it has 
proved itself to be of eminent industrial soundness. Had they 
achieved nothing else, it might still be considered that they had made 
an important contribution to American industrial science by proving 
the fallacy of the old contention that workers are irresponsive to the 
employer's good efforts. 

A suggestion to cut down expenditures for hygiene and comfort 
would be considered by the managements of these mills as absurd as 
a proposal to cease buying new machinery. As already said, sanita- 
tion and brightness make for - satisfactory operation and enhanced 
value of product. Massachusetts State officials have reported that 
these mills provide as healthful conditions as the public schools. As 
a matter of actual statistics, the establishments have nearly double 
the amount of fresh air required by the State laws for school children. 
The space given to the workers is nearly ten times that demanded by 
law for schools. 

The air is purified and kept in constant circulation. Standard 
bubbling fountains are placed everywhere among the machines, 
giving all workers convenient access to water that is filtered and cooled 
to the temperature recommended by hygienic science. A very prac- 
tical benefit is that work is not interrupted by the illnesses that over- 
come factory operatives who have access only to crudely iced water. 

Each mill has its own emergency hospital with beds, under trained 
nurses who have at their command the facilities for aseptic surgery 
and for medical relief. These nurses also superintend the general 
sanitary condition of the entire estaljlishments. 

Besides dressing-rooms there are individual metallic lockers for 
each employee. Women and men attendants maintain wash-rooms, 
etc. in good condition. 

So thoroughly have these matters demonstrated their utility, that 
there is lively rivalry between the various managements for improve- 
ments. A suggestive point is that men who had spent a great part 

[23] 



of their lives under other conditions, are the most enthusiastic up- 
holders of the regime of these mills, and foremost in suggesting 
further innovations. Such an idea as installing coffee boilers and 
ovens for warming and cooking luncheons, for example, was eagerly 
adopted, and in the Arlington and Acadia Mills has been so extended 
that each floor has an equipment of its own, with a woman attendant 
to look after the food. 

THE RULE OF VIGILANCE 

One of the characteristics of cotton and woolen mill operation is 
the incessant tendency to variation of product. Minute variation in 
the raw, slight changes in temperature and humidity, variations in the 
adjustments all have instant effect on the tender material in its long 
course through the intricate processes that convert it from a bit of 
fluff to a finished product. 

Everywhere, anywhere, at any moment, some such variation may 
begin to alter the character of the entire product. Practically every 
day develops some new problem in a mill, presenting itself in a form 
that puzzles the most experienced. The yarn may run uneven in size. 
It may show a sudden mysterious alteration of tensile strength. Its 
appearance may be impaired. It may run too heavy or too light. 

These difficulties are not abnormal in the sense that they are outside 
of the normal day's work. They are an inseparable part of the regular 
daily operation, and "eternal vigilance" is indeed the price that must 
be paid for safety in quality. 

Automatic machinery may, and does, catch many imperfections. 
To install such devices is a matter of common manufacturing intel- 
ligence. But machines cannot exercise vigilance. Vigilance is a 
matter of human eyes, human brains, and more than all, human 
conscientiousness. To maintain these qualities at their best, it is es- 
sential to imbue the working force with the spirit of the mill. The 
policy of the Whitman group guards against temporary idleness of 
machinery which involves dismissal of operatives, and avoids those 
changes of equipment from one manufacture to another, which cause 
wasteful transfers of trained people. 

Thus, while these mills maintain many systems of checks and safe- 
guards to place individual responsibility, they assure vigilance by better 
methods than penalties. The organization's good will towards its custo- 
mers and its good will toward employees, demonstrated by action 
through many years, have imbued the working force with good will for 
the mills' products. The operatives are vigilant because they want to be. 

[24] 



"CLIMATIC" CONDITIONS 

The regions occupied by the Whitman group of mills (Lawrence 
in the northeastern end of Massachusetts, near the seacoast, and 
New Bedford in the southeastern part of the State on Buzzard's Bay, 
where the Gulf Stream swings near the coast) closely approximate 
the ideal climate for cotton and wool manufacture; but even their 
humidity and temperature are not sufficiently uniform to be accounted 
completely right. 

For this reason the group has made itself wholly independent of 
natural climate, each mill maintaining its own appropriate artificial 
climate the year around. Thus is obtained a uniformity of humidity 
and temperature impossible under even the best natural advantages, 
and conditions can be adjusted to any condition of manufacture. The 
installations are such that the most minute alterations of humidity 
and temperature automatically cause operation of controlling devices. 

This phase of wool and cotton manufacture being supremely im- 
portant, no single system of installation is depended on. Common 
to all the mills are, of course, the many standard installations of 
automatic humidifiers, drosophores, atomizers and similar appa- 
ratus; but in addition each mill has special installations and systems 
for its own particular purposes. 

Thus the Acadia Mills in Lawrence guard against occasional dry 
summer periods in that region by surrounding themselves at such 
times with their own rain, having five tons of piping on the roofs 
for that purpose. While a bright, hot sun shines on Lawrence from 
a cloudless sky, the mills stand in a silver curtain of "Scotch Mist" 
the moment the natural climate falls below a certain prescribed 
condition. 

The multiplication of installations by making perfect uniformity of 
conditions, insures constant uniformity of product. The chance 
visitor who does not know the intimate relationship of atmospheric 
conditions to wool and cotton, would probably assume extravagance 
when he sees such climate-making equipments as those in a single 
mill like the Arlington establishment. But actually this part of 
operation is so important that it justifies any expenditures that will 
produce results. 

A description of the Arlington Mills atmosphere-governing system 
alone could easily fill a book as large as this volume, and it would 
be fascinating to the technician, for this one detail of the mill is a 
modern fairy story of science. A power plant ample to operate a 

[25] 



large industrial establishment is devoted to this single use. Such 
devices as drosophores are counted literally by the hundreds. The 
piping for atmospheric control and ventilation aggregates 28 miles. 
All the air that is admitted to the mills is filtered and washed, making 
for both hygiene and cleanliness of products. The ventilating system 
is of enormous power, for it is called upon to force into the establish- 
ment 3,600,000 cubic feet of air every hour. Hydrographic and 
thermographic recording instruments are duplicated in elaborate ob- 
servation stations throughout the place. Dynamos, air pumps, cooling 
apparatus, live steam, blowers and suction pumps are parts of a be- 
wildering system whose intricacies operate through more than 100 
acres. 



[26] 



TheVAr Department of 
THE UNITED STMES OF AMEWCA 

RECOGNIZES IN THIS AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE 

THE LOYALTY ENERGY AND EFFICIENCY IN THE PERFORMANa 

OF THE WAR WORK BY WHICH 

JPttt.XUtiitunttt (£^.3nt. 

AIDED NLATERIALLY IN OBTAINING VICTORY FOR THE ARMS 

OF THE Unhed States of America in the war with 

THE Imperial German Government and the Imperial 

AND Royal Austro -Hungarian Government 









—-3. 


HoTs^ber i, 1919 


i 


Bos 


.;^.5 


1 


rn>r; 


The rirootor f^f Purthiie, Et-nse ind Ciufflc. 




T«: 


^. T.Itr^nCo.. Lnc. Hortcn, :i*sa. 






Certirfr^te of ::er!t. 

!• In accordance with the r^cT-Katrfa' inn of 
Dirsstc- of Purchase t cftrtlflcote of •^-it hf«3 Men s^nt 
yon under 3«TVi-ate oorer. - 

2. Th? cilitlon by the Dlr3;to- of ajr-ihasa 

Tfll3 coattaotpr Is entitled to 
el»(?n the GcTjnvwnt ».ni for a 
in f'.rrlshin- rjpplles to the 


'■:: 




.^,M..M,';,.S/k"5=crS';^,i;.rL':.:%s;j:: 


i to 




5.. .cod. 


^•^-^ ' 




03D. 1. sna. 


■' 3::!t, 



For Distinguished Service 



[27] 






-C^^ 

M 



Arlington Mills 

Lawrence, Mass. 
ARLINGTON MILLS 




TOftDE MARK REG ■ US ■ PRT-OFF- 












ARLINGTON MILLS 

Lawrence, Mass. 
Capital Stock $12,000,000 

OFFICERS 

President: Franklin W. Hobbs Boston, Mass. 

Treasurer: Albert H. Chamberlain Lawrence, Mass. 

Agent: John T. Mercer Lawrence, Mass. 

Clerk: H.\rry A. Wright Lawrence, Mass. 

DIRECTORS 

Albert H. Chamberlain Lawrence, Mass. 

Robert H. Gardiner Boston, Mass. 

Dudley N. Hartt Boston, Mass. 

Franklin W. Hobbs Boston, Mass. 

James R. Hooper Boston, Mass. 

George E. Kunhardt Lawrence, Mass. 

William K. Richardson Boston, Mass. 

Charles W. Leonard Boston, Mass. 

E. Kent Swift Whitinsville, Mass. 

William Whitman, Jr Boston, Mass. 

William Whitman Boston, Mass. 

SELLING AGENTS 

William Whitman Company, Inc. Offices: 78 Chauncy Street, 
Boston, Mass.; 25 Madison Avenue, New York, N. Y.; 300 
Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa.; Continental and Com- 
mercial Bank Building, Chicago, 111. 






THE ARLINGTON MILLS 

LAWRENCE, MASS. 

The Arlington Mills produce within themselves every element in 
the manufacture of worsted fabrics. They buy, sort and grade their 
own raw wool, make their own wool top, spin every grade of worsted 
yarn, and weave, dye and finish cloth, delivering it ready for every 
use in which their woven fabrics may be required. 

The Arlington Top Mill, in addition to making wool top for the 
Arlington spinning and weaving departments, cleanses, cards and 
combs raw wool on commission, handling the raw wool consignments 
as they are delivered by the owners, and returning the net product 
in wool top, with complete certificates of weight, conditioning, etc. 
Noil and other waste is saved and accompanies each shipment of tops. 

WORSTED CLOTH, COTTON-WARP WORSTED FABRICS, 
STAPLE AND FANCY 

PIECE-DYED, CROSS-DYED, YARN-DYED 

In its manufacturing operations, this establishment, comprising 
the Arlington Mills in Lawrence, Mass., and a weaving and finish- 
ing branch in North Adams, utilizes 2,495,304 square feet, or 57.24 
acres, of floor space. It is one of the largest single cloth-producing 
organizations in the world. Its product is finished ready for use as 
material for garments or other purposes. The principal manufactures 
are worsted fabrics for men's wear and womens wear. These general 
titles cover every kind of such material used for clothing. 

The mills are recognized for their Staples, such as serges, cheviots, 
shepherd's checks, etc., which are of uniform construction year after 
year. They are equipped also to make Fancies and Novelties which 
vary according to fashion. 

Arlington fabrics comprise Piece-dyed Fabrics woven from yarn 
in the gray or natural state, either wholly worsted, or worsted with 
plain or mercerized cotton yarn, or worsted with silk or wool yarn, 
dyed in the piece; Cross-dyed Fabrics woven from wool or worsted 
yarn in the gray with cotton yarn dyed black or fancy color, the 
fabric being dyed by a process that colors only the wool; Yarn-dyed 
Fabrics woven from dyed yarns all worsted or worsted and cotton. 

[31] 




Arlington Mills from thk rear 



t^/: /'■ 



p:-rW 




Main Corner of Arlington Mills Power House. This chimney is the largest in New England. 

It is 300 FEET HIGH AND THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF ITS BASE IS 23 FEET 6V4 INCHES 



The fabrics range in weights from 3 to 16 and more ounces to 
the yard, and in widths from 35 to 58 inches. In their construction 
are utihzed all the varieties of combing wools grown in the world — 
Australian Merino and Cross-breds, South American Merino and 
Cross-breds, Cape Merino. American Merino and Cross-breds, the 
lustrous wools of pure English blood, and such wool-like material 
as the mohair from the Angora goat and the alpaca from the South 
American animal of that name. 

This raw material is sorted under rules which fix grades especially 
established for Arlington products. The character of the world's 
wool varies astonishingly with each season's clip — so much so that 
every year presents problems almost like those of a new business. 
Adherence to standard is, therefore of the utmost importance if a mill 
aims to supply its customers with products whose quality is uniform 
season after season. 

ARLINGTON MILLS WORSTED YARN SPINNING 

Although at the time ot their erection the yarn-spinning mills 
of the Arlington establishment were considered extraordinarily ex- 
tensive for the possibilities of the general American market in yarns, 
the mills' own cloth business consumes all that can be spun despite 
continual enlargements. Indeed, new additional buildings had to be 
erected in 1919-1920 for the one purpose of meeting the demands 
of their own weave-rooms. 

The size of the mills, and the number of spindles, twisters, warpers, 
looms, etc., make an array of figures that suggest the term "colossal"; 
but the character of the working organization in control of this equip- 
ment is such that Quality is the predominant feature of Arlington 
product. Good work and not quantity production is the task set for 
the workers. Quantity production is attained by ample facilities, 
labor-saving devices, system and a sufficiency of workers, so that 
neither men nor equipment are strained. 

Arlington fabrics are profiting today from many past years of care 
in building up an intelligent and reliable working force. More than 
75 per cent of the organization consists of people born in America 
or of English-speaking stock. The "floating" element is conspicu- 
ously absent. 

The number of employees who wear service pins testifies to the 
permanence of employment, whose tenure may be indicated by the fact 
that some of the pins represent terms of service as long as twenty-five 

[ 33 ] 








LT'SS 



Arlington Mills, Lawrence, Mass. This establishment cleanses its own rai 

DELIVERING THEiM READY FOR USE. It CONTAINS 26^ 




PLAN OF PROPERTY 
ARLINGTON MILLS 

LAWRENCE AND METHIEN MASS 



i^^^i--- 



iiir'^wmiTiii 




ES THE WOOL TOP, SPINS ITS OWN YARN, AND WEAVES, DYES AND FINISHES FABRICS, 
ITS FLOOR SPACE IS 2,409.125 SQUARE FEET ^55.31 ACRES ) 




The First Arlington Mills, Lawrence, IIass., as they appeared in 1865 




The Arlington Mills, fko.m a PHoTOGRArii mahl i.n ISuT 



[36] 



and more vear^. No pin can l)e earned by less than five years' con- 
tinuous enij)loynient. The five-year pin of gold and blue enamel with 
a gold star is in steady demand as employees continually qualify lor 
it. Direct personal interest is further maintained by participation 
for mill improvements through employees' committees whose sug- 
gestions and recommendations are viewed as a valuable part of the 
mills' co-operative system. 

The jjrinciples of hygiene and condort that govern the whole group 
of mills are expressed in the Arlington establishment by dressing 
rooms, rest rooms, hospitals, facilities for warm meals, bubbling 
fountains, individual steel lockers for each employee's belongings, 
abundant spaces between machines, circulation of washed fresh air, 
and encouragement of sports and amusements, extending to the for- 
mation of a mill band which gives a weekly concert in front of the 
mills during the lunch hour in summer. 

The organization so fostered numbers almost 7000 people. 

ARLINGTON WEAVES 

Good Weaving Begins in the Yarn-spinning Department 

Although the yarn spun in the Arlington Mills is consumed entirely 
within the establishment, the testing and inspection departments in- 
spect it as if it were to pass critical buyers, and in turn the weave-room 
management scrutinizes it as if it had been purchased outside. 

Warping rooms, slashers and other e(|uipments that prepare yarn 
for the looms are supplied with many devices for delivering a good 
warp, and their number and capacity is such that quantity delivery 
can be maintained without the haste which makes for passing inferior 
material. 

The weaving, finishing and dyeing dejnirtments are provided with 
rooms of unusual area and with saw-tooth glass roofs and tall windows 
for maximum light. Each fabric is examined in the gray when it comes 
from the loom. As it passes through the many finishing and dyeing 
processes it is examined and re-examined. Thus every piece of cloth 
made in this establishment is seen by many eyes that study each inch 
of it; and when the product reaches the shipping department a final 
close examination is made of the piece, again from end to end. 

The Arlington looms in number alone would make this weaving 
unit one of the very great industrial plants of the United States. But 
beyond this matter of capacity is the variety of the equipment, and 
the modernity of all the installations. They are of ever\ kind usefuf 

[ 39 ] 




Arlington Mill- \\ n vk Room, No. 2 



for any purpose in cloth-making, and represent all the widths service- 
able for worsted and woolen cloth. Looms of maximum widths are 
so numerous that they alone exceed the number of all looms in many 
large American and European weaving mills. 

Supplied with these facilities, and fed with material whose quality 
begins in the top mill, the weave-rooms are held to high performance. 
The definition of quality in the Arlington Mills is not variable or 
comparative. It calls for uniformity of quality not only throughout 
any given run of fabric or for one season, but for every fabric always. 

FINISHING ARLINGTON FABRICS 

In previous pages we have gone into an explanation of the methods 
of manufacture up to the gray cloth, showing the infinite watchfulness 
and care essential to the production of perfect fabric from the loom. 

But at this stage the work of manufacturing the cloth is only par- 
tially done. The remaining processes of manufacture such as finishing 
and dyeing are of equal it not ot greater importance. In fact, however 




IK ll(llll/ii\ r\l. Tl KBI\K RllOM, SH(>UI\(, TWI> MACHINES OF 
7500-KILO\VATTS EACH 



[40] 



good a cloth may be when it comes from the loom, it can be easily 
spoiled in either of the subsequent processes. 

In the worsted manufacture the vital part of production lies in these 
two processes. It is difficult to say that one is more important than the 
other. They go hand in hand, and are practically dependent upon 
each other. In the early days of the cloth manufacture the fulling was 
a separate trade by itself, but now in our American method of manu- 
facture of worsteds it is combined with the other branches. Colors 
should be durable as well as beautiful and the aim of finishing is to 
develop the best possible fabric out of the material used. The finish 
must be adapted to the materials used and it must be suitable to the 
use to which it is subsequently to be put in the form of clothing. The 
processes through which a woven worsted fabric passes after it leaves 
the loom and before it is ready for use as a finished cloth, are so 
intricate that they bewilder everybody who visits even a small cloth- 
mill. A cloth under process of finishing is alternately twisted like 
rope, smoothed out, washed, dried and washed again, beaten, twisted, 
smoothed and twisted, etc., in a manner that seems confused. 




Arlington Mills. Part ok Vertical Tlrbim; Khhm. >hipuin(. a .SOUUkilouait anu a 

2000-KILOWATT machine 



[41] 




AijLiNGTON Mills. View of Top Mill, showing part FROiNTiNO on Broadway and North Side, 
Lawrence, Mass. 



There is an important fact behind this. While the production of 
a piece of cloth really is according to steady plan, there are so many 
varieties of cloth and so many varieties of finish that no first-class 
results can be obtained by routine conduct of manufacture. The 
finest finishing installation that can be assembled is not good enough 
to produce uniformly good cloth. The machinery can do its work 
perfectly, but something greater is necessary. That greater thing 
is Knowledge and no machine has it. 

Practically every piece of cloth has characteristics of its own. The 
quality of the season's wool clip, alterations in wool under spinning 
and weaving, effects of weather, all express themselves daily in a 
cloth-mill. Only knowledge and experience can meet such condi- 
tions. The Arlington motto, "Skill Wins Favor," means that an 
Arlington fabric is the result of human efficiency. 

To describe all the steps in finishing a piece of cloth would require 
a large technical volume. The number of manipulations may be 
indicated by naming some: burling, washing, beaming, crabbing, 
scouring, fulling, carbonizing, steaming and stretching, gigging, 
napping, lustering, tentering, drying, shearing, dyeing, brushing, 
pumicing, polishing, pressing and decating. 

The sequence of many operations varies according to the cloth and 
its purpose. Some cloths demand nearly all the processes. Others 
suffer from too many. Some profit from manipulations performed 
to the maximum. Others must be treated with extreme moderation. 



[42] 



For an example we may take fulling. The principle of fulling is 
as old as cloth-making. Equipments for it are largely standard, and 
are available to any cloth-mill. The process, however, has never been 
standardized and probably never will be, because fabrics made from 
wool are whimsical and never the same. For this reason the products 
of various cloth-mills with exactly similar fulling equipments may 
differ surprisingly. One will produce an excellent cloth and the other 
may produce a failure. 

Is a cloth to emerge from the fulling mill in fine, "open" condition? 
Is it to be compact and "snappy"? The answer depends on the 
operators. One cloth will profit from generous scouring or soaping. 
One may gain from being scoured first, the very next piece may 
need a reversal of processes. Differences in treatment that may seem 
almost infinitesimal will make great differences in "handle" and ap- 
pearance. Napping is not always required for raising a nap, but an 
expert workman will see that a given fabric can be improved by a 
gentle degree of napping or teazing. 




Arlington Mills. Partial view of boiler house 



[43] 



These large and small refinements cannot be obtained Ijy rote, and 
it is not possible to secure them from an uninterested working force, 
yet it is this aspect of a cloth-mill that determines the attractiveness 
of a cloth in the workrooms or show windows of the retailer. Beauty 
of color, for example, depends greatly on niceties of finish. Careless- 
ness or poor technique in a single operation such as drying will produce 
striking unevenness and other defects in the best dye. Again, the 
finest finish may be destroyed by an unskilled dyeing department. 
The value obtained by the purchaser depends on the whole sum of 
efficiency in the mill. 

The acknowledged success of Arlington dveing is due very simply 
to the same principles that produce good Arlington wool top, yarns 
and weaves — good raw materials, modern methods for preparing 
dyes and for applying them, and careful work by a careful, experi- 
enced organization. There are, of course, particular Arlington 
appliances and processes, and quite unusual facilities such as the 
chemical laboratory which is believed to be one of the most complete 
that can be found in anv similar industrv. Its staff and resources 




Arlington Mills. Pond and Water-cooling Apparatus in the Foreground. Power House at 

Right. North View of No. 2 Weave Room. The building in the rear 

contains the finishing departments of this cloth mill 



[44] 







■■V,': ■■ '•• '. r- ■ ■ ' ' • 




A Flulk ut 3UUU .Shelf. Thk Akli.ncton Mills uses the fleeces of more than 35,000 sheep 

IN A SINGLE day's OPERATION 

cover every element from analysis of raw dye material to color tests of 
product in any state. The mills also are singularly fortunate in water 
supply, and further assure the purity of it by filter beds and continual 
tests that prevent any injurious ingredients from entering the dve 
vats. But behind this whole manufacturing system of the mill is that 
guiding force of science and practical Knowledge which extracts from 
the material facilities and resources the best virtues that they contain. 

WOOL TOP 

■' Wool top " is the trade name for wool that has been brought to 
the point where it is ready to spin into yarn. It represents the first 
workable stage of wool after it has been sorted, degreased, washed, 
carded and combed. 

"Top" is the net value that the owner gets out of his gross weight 
of raw wool. No matter how much his purchase weighs in the raw, 
or what he pays for it, the final result is determined by the value of 
the wool top. 

Theoretically, any worsted mill can make its own wool top out of 
raw wool. But long experience of the economies to be gained by 
handling raw wool in large quantities and by specialized methods has 
led to general recognition of the advantage in making wool top pro- 
duction a separate business. 

[45] 





One of the Water Powers owned by the Arlington Mills. This illustration shows the dam 

AT MiLLVlLLE, SOME DISTANCE ABOVE THE LaWRENCE ESTABLISHMENTS 

European wool-manufacturing districts practiced separate wool 
top production long before America's industry attained a powerful 
position. The Arlington Top Mill, in addition to introducing the 
principle in the United States, introduced a new method of cleansing 
wool— the naphtha solvent process. It eliminates the many large 
and small injuries done to wool by hot-water scouring with soap and 
obtains the maximum amount of serviceable wool. 

The erection of the Top Mill was considered by the trade at the 
time to be a most hazardous experiment. Today, however, the mill 
is equipped to handle more than one and one-quarter million pounds 
of raw wool every week in regular order of business. Since its estab- 
lishment, more than 500 million pounds of cleansed wool have been 
produced by it with profit to mill and customers. Its capacity is equal 
to one-fifth of the entire wool clip of the United States. 

HANDLING WOOL ON COMMISSION 

The Arlington Top Mill is so designed and operated that each 
shipment of raw wool to be cleansed and combed into wool top on 
commission, is handled by itself as it would be handled by the owner 



[46] 



in his own establishment. The consignment is taken straight from 
the freight cars to its own division on the storage floors and thence 
goes to a similar division in the sorting department, to be handled by 
a staff assigned to it alone and segregated from every other sorting 
force in the building. Rejected material goes directly into bags 
tagged for the owners. The selected wool drops into bins from 
which it goes to the degreasing plant, passing with similar integrity 
through the succeeding processes of washing, carding and combing. 
Under the combs are special bins into which drops the noil to be 
bagged, so that, when the last wool top has been packed the shipment 
is complete with everything that belongs to the original consignment 
of raw wool. 

SORTING WOOL ON COMMISSION 

Customers who send raw wool to the Arlington Top Mill are served 
by sorting and grading staffs who are experienced in doing this work 
accurately according to owners' instructions. Skilled "over-lookers" 
superintend the work specially on each consignment. The principle 
is the same as if the sorting were being done on a customer's own 
premises. 

THE SOLVENT PROCESS FOR CLEANSING WOOL 

Old methods for cleansing raw wool, many of which are still prac- 
ticed extensively, are based on the simple principle of scouring the 
natural grease and other dirt out of it with hot water and soap. This 
method involves three factors which injures the fibre — over-heating, 
injuries from the chemicals in the soap, and matting or felting due 
to the necessary forcible manipulation in the soap bath. 

Under-scouring and over-scouring are equally harmful. Insuf- 
ficient cleansing that leaves the wool greasy makes so much trouble 
in the yarn and in the woven goods, that the tendency is toward 




A Merino Ram 

[47] 



over-scouring, especially since the line between under-scouring and 
over-scouring is hard to draw. But over-scouring affects the wool 
fibre severely, and especially so if the temperature of the water is 
high, as it generally is. 

It is very rare indeed that a scouring solution can be maintained 
at uniform temperature throughout. Uneven temperature makes 
uneven condition of wool. The difficulty caused by the soap problem 
may be understood from the fact that a 5 per cent solution of caustic 
soda with heat will destroy wool in 5 minutes. Most wool soaps con- 
tain some of this severe alkali. 

Everv sort of defect follows; from fibre that is harsh and stringy 
to fibre unduly soft with a greasy slipperiness. The wool cells are 
altered, with resultant losses of strength. The felting causes waste 
in the cards. 

The naphtha process cleanses wool without scouring that does 
violence to fibre. Its action on the wool is limited wholly to separating 
it from the grease. No heat is used. The degreased wool emerges 
from the naphtha kiers and the driers odorless, and cleansing re- 
quires only the most gentle manipulation in tepid water in the washing 
machines. No soap is introduced for this washing, because the 




Carding Room in the Top Mill ok the Arlington Mills Group 



[48] 



naphtha process leaves in the wool sufficient potash which transforms 
itself into a natural bland soap in the washing vats. 

The wool thus gained is sweet and clean and brilliantly white, 
representing a maximum amount of useful hbre. Because none of 
the staple is broken, tangled, matted or rendered stringy by mechanical 
manipulation, there is not only great reduction of the waste in carding, 
but Arlington cleansed wool produces top with a minimum of noil 
from the combs. 

Thus, the naphtha solvent process as developed in the Arlington 
Mills mean : Better wool, and more of it. 

The plant can pass the fleeces of more than 30,000 sheep through 
its degreasing kiers in a day, yet it controls its thousands of gallons 
of naphtha so perfectly that the most sensitive nose cannot scent a 
trace of odor. 

ARLINGTON WOOL WASHING 

In Arlington wool washing, everything is done to avoid manipu- 
lation of wool, because manipulation tends to mat or felt it and 
otherwise to affect working values. Hot water and soap scouring 
operations, far from loosening wool up, do the reverse, forming it into 
dense or stringv masses. 




Wool-combing Room in the Tof Mill ok the Arlington Mills Groui 



[49] 




The Great Kiehs in the Wool Decreasing Plant ok ihe Aulinlion Mii.io. Ihe wool in its 

NATURAL STATE IS LOADED INTO THESE TANKS AND CLEANSED BY NAPHTHA. ThE PLANT 
HANDLES MORE THAN ONE MILLION POUNDS OF RAW WOOL WEEKLY 

In the days of individual workers washing their own small lots 
of wool by hand, most of the cleansing was done gently in running 
streams, and this remains the ideal method today. To duplicate the 
condition on a great scale and confoniiably to the modern necessity 
for production, was the aim in planning the Arlington method of 
washing. 

A series of long vats or "bowls" is so connected that water flows 
through them by gravity with an action like that of a natural stream. 
The raw wool is moved wholly by the current, being floated like foam. 
The natural suds that form from the potash left in the wool, act on it 
without violence and require no forcible scouring. Being untouched by 
hand or implement, it arrives at the end of the long stream in excellent 
open condition for the driers. As the water is tepid, never approach- 
ing any temperatures dangerous to wool, the washed wool escapes all 
the injuries caused by overheated and unevenly heated water, emerges 
without discolored or weakened fibres, and has not suffered the harm- 
ful shrinkages which are consequences of the use of heat. 

Avoidance of all unnecessary manipulation is a feature of every 
succeeding process in making the tops. From the degreasing plant 



[50] 



to the wool top packing department the material is handled with a 
delicacy made possible by special equipment and purpose. 

"CONDITIONING" WOOL 

Wool has extraordinary facility for absorbing moisture. It may 
absorb from 5 to 35 per cent, and in any one day it may show widely 
varying gains or losses at different hours, according to changes in the 
humidity and temperature. 

An absolutely reliable standard of condition that shall be fair to 
both buyer and seller is the only way to prevent losses on either side, 
or disputes in which both sides may quite honestly conflict. So 
important is this point that in Europe there have long been official 
institutions for certifying the condition of wool shipments. 

Such official "conditioning houses" could not serve in the United 
States where the wool market is not concentrated in a few places as 
in Europe. Therefore, the Arlington Mills undertook early in its 
existence to seek exact facts for American use, and for a full year 
conducted careful tests which provided material for a series of charts 
that showed the weight-variation curves for all the hours of the year. 
The calculations made possible the establishment of a reliable and 
satisfactory standard for conditioning wool in the United States. 

This Arlington standard calls for a fixed allowance of 15 per cent 
for regain on wool tops. It has proved so correct, and so fair equally to 
buyer and seller that it has been adopted by the trade in general as 
it gives all concerned a uniform basis for calculation, no matter what 
the humidity may be at any time of sale or shipment. 

The allowance is determined by placing a given quantity of top 
in a receptacle where it is subjected to hot, perfectly dry air till it 
is absolutely "bone-dry." It is then weighed accurately on a fine 
scale, and to the bone-dry weight thus ascertained there is added 15 
per cent for regain. 

In other words, bone-dry weight with the 15 per cent added for 
regain, represents a fair average of wool in the United States. In 
actual use, of course, wool never can be bone-dry. It absorbs 
moisture so quickly that even when it is being removed from the 
drying receptacle to the scales it must be protected against the outer 
atmosphere. 

The Arlington Mills conditioning rooms are fitted with devices 
to insure strict conditioning, and are under charge of men of long 
experience in this one work. European establishments of this charac- 
ter, such as the great conditioning house in Bradford, England, are 

[51] 




Exterior View of the Hoosac Department in Ni!uth ViiA\r>. \Ia^>. Thi> Mill i> uriuMKn \> a 

PART OF the establishment OF THE ARLINGTON MlLLS IN LAWRENCE, MasS. 

operated officially, and their certificates are legal evidence in law. 
The Arlington establishment is private; but it is gratifying to be 
able to say that the certificates which it issues with each shipment 
are accepted by the trade with the same confidence. 




Plan of Property of Hoosac Mills 



[52] 



ARLINGTON MILL FABRICS 

SERGES 

All-wool Serges, Piece Dyed, Clear Finish 
For Men's Wear and Women's Wear 

All-wool Serges, Piece Dyed, Unfinished 
For Men's Wear and Women's Wear 

All-wool Cream Serges 
For Men's Wear and Women's Wear 

All-wool Mixture Serges, Wool Dyed, Clear Finish 
For Men's Wear and Women's Wear 

All-wool Mixture Serges, Wool Dyed, Unfinished 
For Men's Wear and Women's Wear 

All-wool Melange or Vigoreaux Serges, Clear Finish 
For Men's Wear and Women's Wear 

Worsted and Cotton Plaited Serges, Piece Dyed 
For Men's Wear and Women's Wear 

Cotton Warp Serges, Piece Dyed 
For Men's Wear and Women's Wear 

CHEVIOTS 

All-wool Cheviots, Piece Dyed 
For Men's Wear and Women's Wear 

SUITINGS 

All-wool Fancy Weave Serge Suitings, Clear Finish 
For Men's Wear and Women's Wear 

All-wool Fancy Weave Serge Suitings with Hairline Stripes 
For Men's Wear and Women's Wear 

All-wool Mixture Suitings, Wool Dyed 
For Men's Wear and Women's Wear 

All-wool Melange or Vigoreaux Suitings 
For Men's Wear and Women's Wear 

All-wool Plaids and Shepherd Checks, Yarn Dyed 
For Men's Wear and Women's Wear 

All-wool Panamas, Piece Dyed 
For Women's Wear 



[53] 



ARLINGTON MILL FABRICS 

SUITINGS 

(Continued) 

All-wool Tricotines, Piece Dyed 
For Women's Wear 

All-wool Poplins, Piece Dyed 
For Women's Wear 

All-wool Gabardines, Piece Dyed 
For Women's Wear 

All-wool Cheviot Suitings, Piece Dyed 
For Men's Wear and Women's Wear 

All-wool Tropical Suitings, Wool Dyed 
For Men's Wear and Women's Wear 

Cotton Warp Plaids and Checks, Yarn Dyed 
For Women's Wear 

Cotton Warp Serge Suitings with Hairline Stripes, Cross Dyed 
For Women's Wear 

RAINCLOTHS 

All-wool, Gabardines, Wool Dyed 

For Men's Wear and Women's Wear 

Cotton-filled Gabardines, Cross Dyed 
For Men's Wear and Women's Wear 

Worsted and Cotton Twist Suitings, Piece Dyed 
For Men's Wear and Women's Wear 

Cotton Warp Cashmeres 

SPECIALTIES 

In volume large enough to warrant, specialties will be made 



[54 J 






MoNOMAC Spinning Company 



Lawrence, Mass. 







|f^|\lfif6cc,"t;tl 

.It'll tCt.^LS 




m 



TT 




Company 






MONOMAC SPINNING COMPANY 

Lawrence, Mass. 
Capital Stock $5,000,000 

OFFICERS 

President: William Whitman Boston, Mass. 

Treasurer: Ernest N. Hood Boston, Mass. 

Clerk: Frank C. Chamberlain Boston, Mass. 

Agent: Walter M. Hastings Lawrence, Mass. 

DIRECTORS 

Arthur T. Bradlee Boston, Mass. 

Louis H. Fitch Boston, Mass. 

Fr\nkun W. Hobbs Boston, Mass. 

Ernest N. Hood Boston, Mass. 

Malcolm D. Whitman New York, N. Y. 

Willum Whitman, Jr Boston, Mass. 

William Whitman Boston, Mass. 

SELLING AGENTS 

William Whitman Company, Inc. Offices: 78 Chauncy Street, 
Boston, Mass. ; 25 Madison Avenue, New York, N. Y. ; 300 
Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa.; Continental and Com- 
mercial Bank Building, Chicago, 111. 






MONOMAC SPINNING COMPANY PRODUCTS 

The Monomac Spinning Company is a worsted-yarn mill, producing 
single and ply-yarns both in all worsted and merino, in counts ranging 
from 10 to 60. These yarns are all drawn and spun on the French 
system. They are put up for the knitting trade on cops and cones, and 
for weaving on dresser spools or in skeins. Both worsted and merino 
yarns are made in various mixes as desired. 

The mill has a reputation for single warp yarns and for single 
yarns for tops for rubber shoes where an extremely level yarn is 
required. 

MONOMAC WORSTED YARNS 

The Monomac Spinning Company selects and purchases its own 
raw wool, choosing and grading it according to the many particular 
kinds of worsted yarns made by the mill. As in the other mills of 
the group, hygiene, cleanliness and light are maintained for the 
equal benefit of workers and product, and the latest facilities for 
correct temperature and humidity assure unvarying conditions for the 
work in all stages of progress. 

An organization has been built up with accurate knowledge of the 
production of French spun yarns, and the machinery for this purpose 
is the best existing in either America or Europe, having been made 
by the acknowledged leaders in French spinning equipment. 

The installation of mule and ring-spinning frames and of finishing 
machineries is at least as ample as any in the western hemisphere. 
Its size was dictated by the principle of having an equipment that 
can always meet any demand for quantity without pressure on the 
time and care that are necessary at all times for uniform standard 
of quality. 

MONOMAC MERINO YARNS 

The yarn known by the trade-term "Merino" is, as is of course 
well known, a yarn spun of cotton and wool combined in many various 
proportions. If it is desired simply to produce a woolen-hke yarn at 
a price far below wool, the cost of production can be reduced in- 
definitely by simply reducing the care in manufacture. But such a 
"merino" yarn is in effect only a wool yarn adulterated with cotton. 

In true merino yarn manufacture, the principle is exactly the op- 
posite. Cotton and worsted are combined not to adulterate the worsted 
or to produce a cheap imitation of wool yarn, but to create a stand- 
ard product of quality with its own great value; among which is the 

[59] 



manufacture of underwear that will shrink less than if made from 
pure worsted. 

A cheap "merino" yarn can be made cheaply by simply mj.vmg 
cotton and wool. The best merino yarn is made from blends of cotton 
and wool that have been combed. 

In the cheap mixture, cotton and wool fight. In spots, wool may 
dominate. In other spots, the cotton dominates. Such irregularities 
will run throughout every ''merino" yarn improperly made. In the 
high quality blend, the wool and the cotton work together. The yarn 
throughout its length is a uniform product with the wool dominating. 




':i^mm^^mm 



Partial View of a Kiii \i ii \li i.i M'inmm. Khom i\ im, Monomac Spinning Company's Mills 



[60] 



no matter what the proportions of wool and cotton may be. The process 
of manufacture is not different in general principle in either case. But 
the care and expenditure devoted to the details decide if the yarn is to 
be a true and useful merino. 

In the Monomac system of manufacture, the merino character is 
obtained as the initial step, by the use of a beautiful long staple 
cotton grown in Peru. Peruvian cotton of high rough grade is more 
nearly like wool than any vegetable fibre now known to commerce. 
It is not smooth and "sleazy," but has a woolen feel and character 
to a marked degree. This is the kind of cotton used in Monomac 




Partial View of a French Mi le Spinning Room in the Monomac Spinning Company's Mills 



[61] 



'"Merino Yarns." It passes through a number of processes including 
combing before being blended with worsted top on special mixing 
boxes by a particular method to make a blend that insures the main- 
tenance through all subsequent operations of genuine merino. 

Chief of these merino characteristics is that nowhere must the 
cotton "ride" on the outside of the yarn. The importance of this 
quality to the user is readily understood by remembering that wool 
is an animal fibre while cotton is a vegetable fibre. This difference 
causes marked and often fatal differences under treatment such as 
dyeing. In a poorly mixed merino yarn the cotton rides on the 




Thk French System of Drawing Worsted Yarns. A Room in the Monomac Spinning Company's 
Mills. Lawrence, Mass. 



[62] 



outside. It is obvious that in a yarn made with imperfect mixing, 
when either the cotton or worsted is dyed, the result will be unsatis- 
factory. Monomac merino yarns may be dyed without showing 
weakness. Defects in a finished fabric naturally must be in exact 
proportion to the yarn. The weaver and knitter can estimate his 
damage only when it is too late. 

The wool used in Monomac merino yarns is of the same source 
and character as the wool used for the all-worsted yarns. The cotton 
is purchased and graded by the Monomac Spinning Company. 




The French System of Drawing Worsted Yarns. A Room in the -Monomac Spinning Company's 
Mills, Lawrence, Mass. 



[63] 



MONOMAC SINGLE WARP YARNS 

One of the Monomac specialties is production of the extremely and 
uniformly level thread required for single warp yarns and for the single 
yarns used for the tops of rubber shoes. 

The degree to which uniformity of production has been brought in 
all the mills of the group, is a large factor in meeting all such special 
demands. Quality only in "high spots" is of little value to the user 
of a worsted or merino yarn. He may be lucky enough to get a 
chance shipment of high quality but if the next shipment varies, or 
if there are various qualities in one shipment, his net result will not 
be much above what he can get from the poorest quality in the lot. 

In the weaving or knitting-room, the price to be obtained for 
quality in the finished product, and the economies to be gained by 
swift, efficient manufacture, are positively founded on continual, de- 
pendable evenness of the yarn. For this reason the Monomac Spin- 
ning Company makes Uniformity of Quality one of its big rules of 
manufacture. 

A user will find any given Monomac product the same in quality 
next year or the year after next as it is now. If it can be improved, 
it will be. It will not be permitted to deteriorate. 




A Very Old Spinmnc; Wheel of European Pattern used in America before the factory system 

DISPLACED HOUSEHOLD HAND WORK 



[64] 



\< '1 



GX .fe^S 



MONOMAC SPINNING COMPANY 

FRENCH SPUN WORSTED AND 
MERINO YARNS 

Gray 

Worsted Yarns Natural and Silver Mixes 

In counts 14 to 60 

Gray 

Merino Yarns Natural and Silver Mixes 

In counts 14 to 60 

Made in the following percentages of Worsted and Rough 
Peruvian Cotton : 

Worsted 50% 60% 70% 80% 

Cotton 507c 40%, 30% 20% 

Single yarns on Cops, Cones and in Skeins. 

Ply Yarns on Cones, Dresser Spools and in Skeins. 

For Hosiery, Underwear and Weaving. 









Cotton Yarns of Whitman 
Group of Mills 










COTTON YARNS OF THE WHITMAN GROUP OF MILLS 

An undeviating standard and method of selection of the raw cotton 
is in force uniformly for all the mills. It stands as an uncompromising 
sentinel at the door of each. Not a single pound of cotton can pass 
into the manufacturing departments if it fails to meet the laws laid 
down as to grade, length of staple, cleanness, uniformity, color and 
strength. 

Rejected cotton cannot enter any mill on any pretext, even for use 
in the lowest priced mill product. It goes back to the shippers. All 
cotton is bought from them with this understanding, and as the mills 
pay a premium for the privilege, the cotton examiners are at full 
liberty to be exacting to the last degree. 

Similarly, after cotton does enter a mill, only its best is used. The 
only cotton permitted to enter the yarn-spinning process is the cotton 
that has successfully passed the cards and the combs. Not an ounce 
of the tons that fall away under carding and combing ever enters into 
any mill product. No matter how fair in appearance or pleasing in 
qualitv. it is sent back as waste, and is so disposed of. 




Part of Twisting Room. Nonquitt Smnmnc CoiirANV Mills 



[68] 



To reject all cotton remorselessly that is not absolutely up to the 
standard means an amount of daily waste that may seem extravagant. 
But while it is costly to throw cotton away as waste, it is more costly 
to put it through the mill processes with the inevitable injury to the 
mill's good reputation. 

To economize on waste is an economy that does not exist in the 
Whitman group of mills. Large as its percentage is, experience has 
demonstrated beyond all manner of doubt that unsparing rejection 
of cotton saves money to both mill and customer every year. 

Cotton is examined and selected in a place specially constructed 
for the purpose. Automatic humidifying appliances keep the tem- 
perature and humidity at a constant point. Walls tinted a neutral 
gray, and great windows provided with a system of adjustable shades, 
assure an unvarying condition of light for examining and comparing 
tints. United States Government samples of the various grades of 
cotton are at hand under glass to maintain them unaltered as standards, 
and in addition the examiners have before them full size photographs 
of these standards. As in all other parts of the mills, scrupulous 
cleanliness is the rule. 

Rejected cotton is removed at once to the waste rooms where it is 
graded and baled to be sold as waste. Accepted cotton is labelled 
and otherwise marked beyond all possibility of losing its identity in 
any of the succeeding mill processes. 

USES OF COTTON YARNS 

To apply the word "innumerable" to the uses to which cotton 
yarn is put, is an exaggeration, but only a slight one. There is 
hardly a modern activity that does not require something made from it. 

An attempt to set down even a limited list of its more prominent 
uses would result only in recording practically everything with which 
mankind is concerned — transportation, agriculture, the household, 
electricity, mining, the fisheries, clothing, book publishing, chemistry. 
As said in an address by William Whitman: 

"Cotton is the cheapest as well as the most useful fibre known. 
Cotton manufactures form the cheapest, most useful, most indispen- 
sable and most extensive part of the clothing of the great human 
family. Mingled and intermingled with almost all other fibres, and 
in all forms, cotton clothing is worn by mankind. Its use is not 
confined to any country or climate. Actually and figuratively, cotton 
lies nearer the human heart than any other substance for clothing 
which the art of man has produced. We walk in it by day and 

[69] 



we sleep in it by night. With the exception of food, it is difficult to 
conceive what could have a greater value. Nor are the uses of cotton 
manufactures confined to clothing. The versatility of cotton, so to 
speak, is marvelous. 

"The limits of an ordinary address preclude me from attempting 
to enumerate the various uses to which it is put, and I will content 
myself with speaking of only one of the very interesting uses that 
recently came under my observation. 

"In crossing the Island of Porto Rico from San Juan to Ponce, I 
saw hundreds of tobacco plantations in the valley and on the sides of 
the hills completely covered with cotton cloth. Some of these covered 
more than 100 acres, and you may imagine the beautiful contrast 
these plantations covered with white cloth made with the verdure 
of the hills as a background." 

COTTON YARNS FOR KNITTING 

Although spinning and knitting are older than recorded human 
history, new technical questions arise almost daily. In this as in all 
modern industry, the great fact is that while scientific advance con- 
tinually lessens the demand on human physical exertion and labor, it 
increases in rapid ratio the demand on human foresight, carefulness 
and intelligence. In that aspect, by the way, there seems to us to lie 
the true civilizing meaning of machinery — not to save mere dollars 
by eliminating human labor, but to liberate men from all unnecessary 
manual drudgery and make them truly free to use their finer mental 
powers for the real work of mankind, which is to produce the best 
work possible in every field. 

In our mills, machinery is so utilized. New labor-saving devices are 
being added continually, and all machinery is so placed and operated 
as to give the fullest freedom to the human worker's attentiveness. 
Thus, in the production of knitting yarns, there is concentration by 
the whole working force on the task of eliminating in everv step of 




A Skein of Cotton Yarn. Among other things, the Nonqiitt Spinning Company Mills 
IN American production of high-grade combed cotton yarns for mercerizing 



[70] 



manufacture those things which make for waste, seconds, broken 
needles, etc. — all those defects which, if they slip through, cause 
interrupted production to the customer and the subtle deterioration 
that creeps into an establishment when the workers have to fight 
annoying and harassing daily troubles that should not occur. 

The Manomet, Nonquitt and Acadia establishments work for all 
those details that shall assure a yarn as free as yarn can be made 
from knots, slubs and other imperfections that are the bane of knitters. 

The troubles caused by imperfect knitting yarns often are so ap- 
parently trifling in detail that they defy inclusion in any system of 
cost-accounting. But these tiny troubles, occurring here and there 
throughout a whole establishment, day after day, mean a big sum 
total at the end of a year or of a contract. 

It is our effort to deliver yarns that shall prevent such losses. 

COTTON YARNS FOR WEAVING 

Production plays so important a part in weaving, that defects in the 
yarn which check or slow down the work are serious and expensive. 
Looms that are stopped for broken ends in the warp are a dead loss 
for that length of time and in addition the pay of the workers is lost. 
Where the hands are paid by piece-work, they, too, lose money, thus 
laying a cost on both mills and operatives 

Another loss due to broken ends is that they mean seconds or 
imperfections in the goods. 

The goal of perfection toward which we should aspire would, 
naturally, be a point where a loom runs continuously, with no ends 
breaking and no other stoppage, giving its maximum product to 
manufacturer and operative. 

In buying warp yarns, the general custom is to test them for their 
breaking strength. This, however, is not an infallible guide. A 





Cotton Yarn on the Plt-up known as a Cone 



Cotton Yarn Plt-i p on Tl'Bes 



[71] 



yarn may have high breaking strength and at the same time have 
very hltle elasticity or resihency. In the process of weaving, such 
a yarn will snap and break oftener than a yarn of somewhat lower 
breaking strength with greater elasticity or resiliency. 

It is the practice of the mills to study each grade of stock used 
by them with all these facts in mind, and to make the yarn for warp 
purposes in that particular way and with that particular twist which 
shall give it the best possible properties for actual use in the loom. 
In the warping and other processes the yarn in these mills is so 
manipulated and prepared that the weaver shall get from it the best 
quality in his product as well as the greatest possible yardage in 
production. 

The fact that the mills of this group turn their own yarn into 
cotton fabric, cotton and silk mixtures, worsted and cotton mixtures 
and otiier forms of woven fabrics, gives the yarn-mills the continuous 
benefit of experience. It enables them to do more than to meet 
problems that arise among our customers. It has enabled them to 
anticipate many. The manufacture of weaving yarn, therefore, is 
managed throughout these mills by accurate knowledge of what the 
weaver needs in any field ; and the yarn experts have the co-operation 
of the weaving experts in solving any new problem. 

UNDERWEAR YARNS 

In producing yarns for underwear, the mills, conforming to their 
principle of studying the user's requirements and problems, consider 
the yarn not simply as it is when ready for the put-ups, but how it 
will work up, and how the finished product will look and feel. 

In this large branch of the cotton fabric industry, quality in the yarn 
is vital to the manufacturer, for the consumer's impression as to quality 
and worth depends largely on its appearance. The person who buys 
underwear wants it to look clear and feel soft to the hands. Specks 
or spots suggest discomfort, and such a suggestion will be enough 
to cause it, even though the specks be quite innocent. Therefore 
a single shipment of defective yarn may injure a laboriously built-up 
reputation. 

The underwear yarns of the Whitman Company group of mills are 
combed to the maximum, and all succeeding processes are alike aimed 
toward assuring a knitted fal)ric that shall look and feel well, be 
smooth and clear, and to the sharpest scrutiny prove itself free from 
specks and with that luster which comes only from yarn evenly spun 
from choice cotton. 

[72] 



The handsomeness of a fabric has its inception on the cotton fields. 

Cotton is a bloom, and it is not a greatly exaggerated comparison 
to say that like a rose it must be plucked at the moment of full 
fruition if it is to be perfect. It has not attained its value if picked 
unripe. If picked after its best moment, it has lost something of its 
richness of full "bloom." As wilting robs the rose of color, so weather 
tinges the cotton and otherwise injures it, and mill processes that aim 
to correct or cover up the faults are limping behind the original mis- 
take of permitting such cotton to enter the mill at all. 

HOSIERY YARNS 

While the factors that make a good underwear yarn are largely the 
same for hosiery, a few words may be said about the value of quality 
in yarns used for the latter purpose. 

It is a trade assumption that because hosiery is dyed, the yarn 
for it need not necessarily be so perfect in the finer points of appear- 
ance, etc., since the dye may be depended on to do much toward 
eliminating superficial and minor faults. While this is partially true, 
it must be remembered that dye is expensive, and that the expense is 
justified only by the beauty of the resultant product. It is, therefore, 
good business to try to get 100 per cent of value out of it. 

The more nearly right a yarn is, the more fully will the elegance 
of the dye be apparent. Yarn that at a slightly higher first cost will 
most nearly approximate the effect of silk when worked up into dyed 
hosiery, is unquestionably the most profitable yarn to use for any 
product that is to be sold at any price higher than the lowest. 

In tiiis product, appearance generally does the selling. Clearly 
it is not good selling to discount expensive knitting and dyeing by 
applying them to the yarns not fully worthy of the expense. 

COTTON YARNS FOR SILK-FILLING 

Of all cotton yarns made, none requires more skill and knowledge 
of the particular business in which it is to be used, than does the 
cotton yarn made for filling silk goods. In this trade the user must 
estimate the value of the cotton yarn not by its cost as cotton yarn, 
but by the cost of his expensive silk yarns. 

A 10 per cent imperfection in a cotton filling yarn costs the user 
not merely 10 per cent of the value of the cotton. It will cost him 
at least 10 per cent of the value of his silk and may, indeed, lay a 
far heavier penalty on his warp. 

[73] 



It is here "Where Quahty Counts." The mere cost of the cotton 
yarn falls away absolutely when it is worked up in juxtaposition to 
the precious material. 

The clearest cotton yarn in this trade is the cheap yarn. 

Cotton yarn for silk-filling simply must not be made cheaply. It 
must be combed to a high wasteage. It must be spun as evenly 
as skill and care can provide. Full, round, lofty yarn is vital for a 
cotton-filled silk fabric. 

A cotton filling yarn that fails sufficiently to approximate silk in 
appearance and quality, not only betrays itself in the silk fabric, but 
it measurably reduces the silk to its own inferior grade. The very 
richness of silk is its weakness when used with poor cotton yarn. 
The contrast reacts entirely on the silk, and generally does it so 
violently that the most inexperienced eye can see it even though it 
may not be able to "spot" the reason. 

Silk cannot "pull up" a poor cotton filling yarn. Poor cotton 
can and does "pull down" the silk. 

COTTON YARNS FOR WEBBING AND BRAIDING 

The Whitman group of mills makes a specialty of cotton yarn for 
the manufacturing of webbing and braiding, and in this field, as in 
others, works on the principle that the best selling argument is a 
satisfied user who has obtained a good product from yarns that work 
up well and economically. 

Webbing 

In webbing, and especially in elastic webbing, .an especially im- 
portant point is loftiness of yarns so that it will cover up the rubber 
thread warp in the elastic webbing and make a fair, uniform texture 
in other kinds. To achieve this result, special yarns are made by us 
for this purpose, and they are produced both in soft twist and in the 
harder twist required for special work. The yarns are furnished 
either gassed or ungassed, in counts to suit the specific requirements 
of customers. 

Braiding 

To withstand the extreme abrasion of yarn incident to the braiding 
process, the most scientific construction is necessary. The Whitman 
group of mills have developed their methods to a point where this 
quality is fully reached in the special yarns made by them both in 
the gray and in mercerized. A special braid twist is produced, and the 
yarns can be furnished in any of the counts or grades shown in 
the classified list for knitting yarns. 

[74] 



Electrical Trade 

For insulation and covering of wires in electrical work the very 
heaviest cotton yarns are used on cables and heavy wires and the 
counts run thence down to the very finest for the delicate work of 
winding and insulating the thinnest magnet wires. To meet the 
demand in this field efficiently, therefore, it is necessary to maintain 
a system and mill equipment which produces constantly all counts 
from as heavy as 4's to 100s. 

Under our group plan we are able to deliver a full range of numbers. 

Yarns for the electrical trade are usually put on tubes, but can be 
delivered in other forms if desired. 

Quality of cotton used and evenness of spinning are important for 
effective work in this trade. 

Sewing and Shoe Thread for Manufacturers 
While avoidance of knots is a most important element in all yarn- 
making, it is absolutely essential in the production of such things as 
sewing and shoe thread, and it has been one of the successes of the 
Whitman group of mills to reduce the trouble to a diminishing point. 
By their general system which guards against imperfections in all 
stages of yarn-making, and by special methods and machinery for 
handling such imperfections as do occur, these mills have reached 
the point where they are putting out the greatest lengths in the United 
States of these products without a knot. 

TIRE FABRIC YARNS 

Endurance and service obtained from automobile tires depend to 
a large extent on the character of the cotton fabric or the cotton cord 
on which the tire is built up. A close knowledge of the conditions 





Cotton Yarn on Spool Cotton Yarn Put-up in Ball Warp, Nonquitt Spinning Company 



[75] 



which cotton yarn must encounter when it is part of the tire, is a 
necessary element in making the right yarn. 

Since the earhest use of the pneumatic tire for bicycle purposes 
the cotton mills of the group have specialized in this field, and have 
thus been singularly well equipped to meet the accentuating demand 
for quality that has developed under the intense competition between 
tire manufacturers. 

In this trade, breaking strength has heretofore been practically 
the sole test for determination of quality. As in the weaving problem, 
but more emphatically so, this test is insufficient. The necessity is 
not only breaking strength, but resiliency and elasticity. The fabric 
in a tire must have more than the mere strength that resists tearing 
apart. It must be capable of bearing the bending or folding strains 
and resisting the abrasion that come on cloth used in tires. 

Elimination of knots, bunches, etc., is considered one of the esseu'- 
tials in the mill brands of these yarns, and a system carefully maintained 
to that end has succeeded in diminishing them to a decidedly small 
point. Such imperfections as occur in cord tire yarn are cut out and 
spliced under careful method, thus assuring a tire yarn without knots. 

Facility for turning out large quantities quickly is an important 
feature which will speak for itself to big users and dealers who are con- 
fronted so often by emergencies that demand immediate delivery of 
quantities far too great for ordinary mills to provide. The system under 
which these mills co-operate makes it possible to meet such situations. 

Millions of dollars are being spent to advertise the various makes 
of automobile tires. The advertising is based on just one point — 
Quality. Manufacturers of tire fabric cannot afford to discount this 
selling value by taking chances with poor yarn. 

The Whitman organization is in position to supply tire yarns in 
the single on beams and tubes for the manufacture of tire cloth, and 
twisted into plies suitable for the various cord tire requirements. 

KNOTS 

Broken threads are by no means the only or the chief cause of 
knots in cotton yarn. Countless big and little imperfections that occur 
during all stages of a spinning process not sharply controlled, all 
have to be cut out, and thus force knots on slovenly operators. Oil 
spots due to dirty or badly arranged machinery, unevenness due to 
poor spinning and to lack of continuous shop-tests, insufficient card- 
ing or combing, etc., all produce these defects which must be removed 
by the crude method of cutting out. 

[76] 



There is one way to avoid it, and that is to prevent imperfections. 
It can be done only by a mill-system that is organized for the purpose 
from "the ground up." Scrupulous cleanliness, properly arranged 
and tended machinery and a reliable working force are all essential 
to success. 

Having reduced the necessity for knots to a minimum, it is neces- 
sary to have a uniform and rigidly enforced system for tying knots 
that cannot be avoided. This part of the operation of yarn-mills is a 
quite difficult one, for the workers who attend to it are confronted with 
the fact that the best form of knot is the hardest to tie. 

The knot most easily and quickly tied is the spoolers' knot but this 
is usually the least desirable knot for almost any industry that works 
yarn up into fabric. No matter how well it is tied, it makes a "bunch" 
that lies at right angles to the yarn and, therefore, is least likely to slip 
smoothly through the eyes of needles. In the finer counts this fact often 
is almost negligible, but in coarser counts it is of great importance. 

The Manomet Mills, the Nonquitt Spinning Company and the 
Acadia Mills long ago instituted a system of education in knot-tying, 




Various Forms of Put-ups of Cotton Yarns. Spinning Bobbins and Cops 



[77] 



and a regular part of the established operating costs goes to super- 
vision in this field and to teaching workers exactly what knots to tie 
and how to tie them. 

No knots whatever are permitted in yarns made for uses where 
absence of knots is important. In all these, splicing has long been 
the only method. Wherever knots are allowed, the constant effort 
is to tie none but weavers' knots, because these are so made that the 
tied ends lie parallel to the course of the yarn when it is in use for 
knitting and weaving. 

By means of special machinery, such threads as shoe threads in 
heavy plies and other similarly heavy yarns can be made in extra- 
ordinary lengths without any knots whatever. The same is true of 
tire yarns. 

Some of the trouble caused by knots (such as breaking needles) 
is plain enough to the user. More of the trouble is insidious. 
Imperceptible in detail, in its sum it makes a bad "drag" on a 
fabric-producing plant. To eliminate imperfections, and hence 
knots, is one of the chief characteristics of this group of mills. It is 
one of the advantages obtained by the consumer who buys Whitman 
quality. 

MULE-SPUN COTTON YARNS 

Because mule-spinning is more expensive than frame-spinning, it is 
not a tempting branch ot cotton yarn production to yarn-makers who 
base their operation on low cost of manufacture pure and simple. As a 
matter of fact, extensive mule-spinning can be afforded only by mills 
whose reputation for high-grade products gives them a safe position. 

It is a matter of years and of expensive effort to gain a reputation 
that shall guarantee enough steady business to support a mule-spinning 
equipment of any magnitude. For this reason an astonishingly small 
number of mills in America are able today to furnish mule-spun 
cotton knitting yarns of high grade in any notable quantity or in 
quick order. 

The Manomet Mills have been able to so develop this important 
form of yarn manufacture that they have the largest output of mule- 
spun cotton yarns for sale in the United States. 

The scope added by this large equipment for mule-spinning places 
them in position to fill the requirements of any maker of any grade 
of fabric. The excellent quality of the frame-spun yarns guarantees 
a maximum of the elasticity, softness and appearance needed in cotton 
textiles of any quality, while the mule-spun yarns add the final value 
which is wanted in highly priced material. 

[78] 






fiZi 



iManomet Mills 

New Bedford, Mass. 



MANOMET MILLS 




TRADE Y MARK 
REC-US-PAT-OFT- 






M 



mi -0} 

MANOMET MILLS 

New Bedford, Mass. 

Capilal Stock $8,000,000 

OFFICERS 

President : WiLLiAM Whitman Boston, Mass. 

Treasurer: Arnold C. Gardner New Bedforcl, Mass. 

Ageni: Jksse A. Knight New Bedforfl, Mass. 

Clerk: J. Earle Parker Boston, Mass. 

DIRECTORS 

Henry W. Buss Boston, Mass. 

Arthur T. Bradlee Boston, Mass. 

Arnold C. Gardner New Bedford, Mass. 

Franklin W. Hobbs Boston, Mass. 

George E. Kunhardt Lawrence, Mass. 

JosiAH M. Lasell Whitinsville, Mass. 

Charles W. Leonard. . . Boston, Mass. 

E. Kent Swift Whitinsville, Mass. 

William Whitman Boston, Mass. 

SELLING AGENTS 

William Whitman Company, Inc. Offices: 78 Chauncy Street, 
Boston, Mass.; 25 Madison Avenue, New York, N. Y.; 300 
Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa.; Cimtinenta! and Com- 
mercial Bank Building, Chicago, 111. 







Picker Rod.m. Manomf.t Mills. New Bedford 



MANOMET MILLS 



NEW BEDFORD, MASS. 



The Manomet Mills manufacture Combed Cotton \arns in the 
heavier and medium counts — that is, from number 4 to number 30 — 
in the single and in the ply. 

In these combed yarns, which they are able to offer either mule- 
spun or frame-spun as may be desired, they make a specialty of yarns: 
For the better class of knitted goods, both hosiery and underwear; 
for the webbing, thread and embroidery trades; and for every class 
of hea^7 count woven products, including specialties for silk goods 
weavers. 

The mills use and are able to offer these yarns made from American, 
Egyptian and Sakellarides Egyptian cotton. 

They are in a position to supply all the yarns gassed if desired. 



[83] 



Man(imi:t Mi: 
No. 3 




Manomet Mills 

Nos. 1 AND 2 



Manomet Mills 
No. 4 



\^"Mu MiiLs. Ntw Ui.oboKi). Mass. The largest single cotton-yarn prodicini. plant in the world. Its repitation for evi ipmint, .method and sue HA^ drawn visiting experts from all the cotton-ma.\i;factiking nj 



NoNQUiTT Spinning Company 

New Bedford, Mass. 



NONQUITT SPINNING COMPANY 



x'^"^^ 




RLCUSPAT OfT 



Q^' 



'(yr 



m. ^ — m 

NONQUITT SPINNING COMPANY 

New Bedford, Mass. 



Capital Stock ..$4,800,000 

OFFICERS 

President : William Whitman Boston, Mass. 

Treasurer: LEONARD C. Lapham New Bedford, Mass. 

Agent: Fred L. Heyes New Bedford, Mass. 

Clerk: J. Earle Parker Boston, Mass. 

DIRECTORS 

Henry W. Bliss Boston, Mass. 

Arthur T. Bradlee Boston, Mass. 

George E. Kunhardt Lawrence, Mass. 

Leonard C. Lapham New Bedford, Mass. 

Josiah M. Lasell Whitinsville, Mass. 

Charles W. Leonard Boston, Mass. 

E. Kent Swift. Whitinsville, Mass. 

William Whitman, Jr Boston, Mass. 

William Whitman Boston, Mass. 

SELLING AGENTS 

William Whitman Company, Inc. Offices: 78 Chauncy Street, 
Boston, Mass.; 25 Madison Avenue, New York, N. Y.; 300 
Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa.; Continental and Com- 
mercial Bank Building, Chicago, 111. 



m- 



NONQUITT SPINNING COMPANY 

NEW BEDFORD, MASS. 

The Nonquitt Spinning Company manufactures Combed Cotton 
Yarns in the finer counts — that is, beginning at number 30 and 
running as fine as number 100 — both in the single and in the ply. 

The yarns of this mill are frame-spun. The machinery is especially 
arranged to produce a grade of yarn higher than the ordinary yarns 
on the market, meeting the needs of manufacturers of the better 
grades of light underwear and hosiery, silks, plushes and woven goods 
of all characters, where quality of material and manufacture are the 
essentials of good product. In other words, the yarns of this mill 
supply those trades, both in knitting and weaving, to which superior 
yarns are necessities. 

All the Nonquitt Spinning Company yarns can be supplied gassed 
if desired. 



[89] 





I 




The NoNQLin Spi.nmnc Company 








4 



A^ K\ri:ii(.i.N(.\ lie 



I III. \1 \\n\ll;T Mil I, v. I 1 I'K M- III \l.l, I.MI Kl.l. Ml mil IMS IN nil; 

William Whitmaiv ciioin" ok mills 



[90] 



&\ 



Acadia Mills 

Lawrknce, Mass. 




TRADE tlARKlVRECISTEREB 



f}^ 



'fsr-i 



View of Acadia Mills 



[92] 



S: 



ACADIA MILLS 

Lawrence, Mass. 

Capital Stock $3,000,000 

OFFICERS 

President: Willia:\i Whitman Boston, Mass. 

Treasurer: Ernest N. Hood Boston, Mass. 

Agent: William A. Pedler Lawrence, Mass. 

Clerk: F. C. CHAMBERLAIN Boston, Mass. 

DIRECTORS 

Arthur T. Bradlee Boston, Mass. 

Franklin W. Hobbs Boston, Mass. 

Ernest N. Hood Boston, Mass. 

Charles W. Leonard Boston, Mass. 

Malcolm D. Whitman New York, N. Y. 

William Whitman, Jr Boston, Mass. 

William Whitman Boston, Mass. 

SELLING AGENTS 

William Whitjian Company, Inc. Offices: 78 Chauncy Street, 
Boston, Mass.; 25 Madison Avenue, New York, N. Y.; 300 
Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa.; Continental and Com- 
mercial Bank Building, Chicago, 111. 



Ca4 '$^55 




I 



i 




ill 










Hli 










.\cM)iA Mills, Lahulmil. MA^^. 







.VU GASSES YARNS FOR ALL PURPOSES TO 




Warp Balling in the Acadia Mills. These mills have especially large and perfected 
installations for this plrpose 



[96] 



ACADIA MILLS 

LAWRENCE, MASS. 

The Acadia Mills manufacture Combed Cotton Yarns in all counts 
from number 3 to number 100. 

The entire product of these mills consists of Processed Yarn — 
that is, yarn carried beyond its natural condition through the processes 
of mercerizing, bleaching or dyeing. The yarns can be supplied both 
gassed and ungassed. 

While making a specialty of these yarns for the knitting and em- 
broidering trades, they are in position also to supply them wherever 
demanded by the weaving trade, and put the yarn up in forms suit- 
able for any demand of such trade. 

PROCESSED COTTON YARNS 

Processed Cotton Yarn is yarn that, after it comes from the 
spinning mill in the natural color known as "in the gray," has been 
subjected to mercerizing, bleaching or dyeing. It may be put through 
only one ot these processes, or all, or any in combination. Gassing 
is also done in connection with processing. 

The Acadia Mills, built for processing, have developed all the 
processes so uniformly that each individual process profits from ex- 
perience with the rest. The mercerizing establishment must give 
the dyeing establishment of the mills perfect satisfaction, and as a 
result the outside converter who buys undyed mercerized Acadia 
yarns is assured of a product that will develop evenness and beauty 
in his dyeing vats. 

The gray yarns processed by the Acadia Mills are spun by them 
or are products of the Whitman Company group, made under the same 
rules of manufacture. They are all of special quality for mercerizing, 
and thus all the Acadia processed yarns, even if unmercerized, have 
higher quality than ordinary yarn. 

The twist used by the Acadia Mills is a particular twist adopted after 
long experiment for gaining the maximum of luster and brilliancy. 

The importance of eliminating knots, slubs, and other imperfections 
from these yarns which are used in the more expensive manufactures, 
has led to an exceptional development of machinery and organization 
for this one purpose alone. In addition to numerous automatic 
devices for catching even tiny flaws, a large force of workers is 
maintained solely for watchfulness and examination. Besides reducing 

[97] 



the breakage of needles, these refinements enable the user to produce 
uniformly good product, free from seconds. 

After a yarn has passed the watchers who supervise the processes, 
a re-examination is made of the yarn in the warp, and again as it 
goes on bobbins and cones. When finally assembled for shipment, 
each put-up is taken up separately and scrutinized in the ultimate 
examining rooms. 

Such few knots in ply yarns as cannot be avoided are always 
weavers' knots even in knitting yarns, and Acadia knitting yarns 
have long been distinguished for their uninterruptedly smooth maxi- 
mum lengths. 

Elasticity in Acadia mercerized thread yarn, due to the Acadia 
twist, gives it unusually favorable running qualities. It is said to 
represent a silk twist more nearly than any thread yarn on the market, 
and it is of maximum strength. 

The mercerizers, both for skein and warp mercerizing, and all the 

finishing machinery, are of the latest construction and fitted in all 

possible ways with special appliances to maintain the standard of 

Acadia quality. 

* ^ MERCERIZING 

The industrial art of mercerizing cotton yarn has special signi- 
ficance in relation to the William Whitman Company, because its 
President and others bore the brunt of the early fight for universal 
American enjoyment of the process, when its use involved a long and 
costly legal battle. After the legal victory was won, there ensued 
many labors to perfect the technical methods; and in these, again, 
the organization did work that it is satisfactory to recall. 

When the process had been made available to all, it happened 
most unfortunately that short-sighted men, not realizing the true 
values of mercerizing, mis-used it to give inferior cottons a spurious 
selling quality. As is well known now, mercerizing develops its full 
richness and its other beneficial qualities only when it is applied 
to cotton yarns spun from carefully selected and prepared high-grade, 
long staple cotton. Applied to cheap cotton, the luster is inferior. 
This early bad practice brought disrepute on a process which, in fact, 
is one of the very valuable contributions to human service. 

The William Whitman Company organizations from the beginning 
worked stubbornly to develop the true importance of mercerizing, 
which is not only in producing a beautiful silk-luster, but also in 
decidedly improving cotton in roundness and strength, in working 
qualities and in adaptabilitv to fine dveing. 

[98] 




Acadia Mills Warp and Gassing Room. An unusual number of gassing outfits is used in these 

processiisc mills. and many various and ingenious methods of gassing are employed. 

Entire warps are gassed at one operation, and the mills have developed 

particular styles of gassing machines 

Today the mills in this organization are the largest producers in 
the world of Mercerized Cotton Yarns and of Gray Cotton Yarns for 
Mercerizing. 

MERCERIZED COTTON YARNS 

The intimate relation of the organization to mercerizing since its 
inception in America, naturally suggests particular efficiency in the 
Acadia Mills which were constructed specifically for mercerizing and 
otherwise processing cotton yarns. 

In principle, the process of mercerizing is so simple that it can be 
described in twelve words: "Subjecting tightly stretched cotton yarn 
or fabric to a caustic soda bath." In practice there are many details 
and refinements, and some of these demand the most delicate per- 
ception if the yarn is to emerge successfully treated. Variations in 
the yarns, variations in the materials of which the yarns are made, 
variations of twist in their manufacture, together with the varying 
natures of the chemicals used and the varying temperatures of air 
and water when they are used, combine to create a menace whose 
omen is permanent over a mercerizing mill; the menace of uneven- 
ness. This unevenness. which is a continual danger-point in the 



[99] 




Acadia .Mills Qlilli.m, MACHiNtiii 

process, may be so distributed over the yarn that it does not at all 
make itself noticed to the buyer. But when the user attempts to 
work such yarn up, the many variations (not only in luster but in 
form) announce themselves sharply. 

The dyer in particular suffers from unevenly mercerized yarn, 
for mercerizing gives cotton yarn such an affinity for dye that the 
best mercerized parts take on much deeper shades than the rest, 
thus causing mottled dyeing, or color that seems to run in streaks, 
etc. It may vary in degree, but it is bound to occur with any yarn 
that has not been treated with absolute uniformity. 

In apparatus and in human organization, the Acadia Mills have 
all resources for getting uniform results. Of the mechanical equip- 
ments some are unique, and practically all have refinements. Among 
the workers, both in the spinning and processing departments, are 
many who have been with the mills since they were built. The en- 
tire force is one of unusual character and skill. 

Besides the mills' own chemical laboratories and testing rooms, 
they have full benefit of the chemical laboratory of the Arlington 
Mills which is one of the best equipped for this purjjose in the 
United States. 



[100] 



In point of magnitude the Acadia Mills is the largest mercerized 
yarn producing establishment in the western hemisphere. 

BLEACHED COTTON YARNS 

The mere process of bleaching is common and simple. There 
are no secrets in it. But there are few industries whose results vary 
so much. The chief factors in this are the varying degrees of care 
and knowledge in the bleacheries. 

Water plays an important part. This most common liquid has 
cibsolutely no uniformity. Every source produces a different kind. 
A water that to tiie naked eye or even to ordinary tests presents itself 
as perfectly pure, will be shown under exhaustive chemical tests to 
contain ingredients, often numerous, that make it harmful for a 
delicate process like bleaching. Even a given supply of water from 
a single source will vary from day to day, according to various con- 
ditions. An apparently bright, clear water may still hold in invisible 
solution enough earthy matter to make a decided shade in the bleached 
product. 




A View of One of the Rooms in which Warp Mercerizing is Done 



[101] 



The Acadia Mills have elaborate installations to protect this primary 
element of the bleaching process. The water that enters the estab- 
lishment has to pass through a series of filtration beds, and to make 
assurance doubly sure there is a double filtration, two methods being 
in use. 

A laboratory system is devoted entirely to testing this filtered 
water, to the end that throughout the working day it shall be im- 
possible for any to pass into the processes unless it is chemically 
pure for its purpose. Special color tests are used to make sure that 
it is completely de-colorized. This is a fundamental part of the work 
of achieving a pure white finish on the bleach. 

Similar care is expended on all other liquids, etc., that are factors 
in the process. "Rule of thumb" methods for ascertaining their 
quality do not exist in any departments. The chemist and his 
laboratory methods govern all. 

Product is watched in the same manner during its entire passage 
through the bleach. Color-testing appliances of the latest types 
show up every possible modification of white and thus enable the 
mills to catch even the slightest shade of variance from the mill 




Special Attention is Paid to Dyeing in the Acadia Mills. A Glimpse of a Dye House 



[102] 



standards which serve for comparison in every test. Temperatures, 
time, methods of drying, etc., are all controlled by equally scientific 
methods. 

DYED COTTON YARNS 

Maintenance of perfect equality of shade is of immense importance 
to users of dyed yarns. It is not enough that any one shipment shall 
run uniform throughout. The manufacturer of any product made 
from dyed yarns must have the assurance that he can depend on the 
same shade whenever he wants it, year after year if necessary. 

The Acadia Mills are organized with particular care for this service, 
and have every facility for achieving uniformity, from the handling 
of the dye to the final examination of the dyed yarn in the put-up. 

Every result in this mill must match up with the mill standards 
which are absolute perfect specimens of dyed yarns preserved under 
lock and key in light and dust-proof cabinets. The color experts 
make their comparative examinations in specially equipped rooms 
under vapor color-matching lamps which throw the most trifling 
variations of shade into vivid and startling contrast. 

The necessity for such a circumstantial and rigorous daily system 
will be understood when it is remembered that various skeins of the 
same kind of cotton yarn, dyed in one vat, may all vary in shade 
if there has been the least difference in manipulation. One single 
skein may come out with varying shades. 

These defects in dye may be due to any one of scores of the 
manipulations demanded in the process. It may be that inequality 
in taking dye is due to inequality in spinning. It may be due to 
various handlings of the yarn either before or after the actual dyeing. 
It may be caused by inequalities in the dye itself, to condition of the 
liquid, etc. Only a mill designed and equipped for uniformity can 
combat all these dangers successfully. 

Good dyes, specialized knowledge and modern equipment are de- 
manded, of course, and it is hardly necessary to say that the Acadia 
Mills possess these. It is the way good equipment is utilized that 
determines the quality of Acadia Dyed Cotton Yarns. 



[103] 




The Kind of Cotton Used in the Acadia Mills 
No. 1, Raw Cotton ; No. 2, Card Sliver 



[ 104] 




Acadia Mills Cotton 
No. 3, Combed Skein; No. 4, Roving Skein 



[105] 




Acadia Mills Put-ups 

No. 5, Spinning Bobbin; No. 6, Twisted Bobbin; No. 7, Quiller Bobbin; No. 8, Gassed and 
Mercerized Yams on a Cone; No. 9, Gassed, Mercerized and Bleached Yarns on a Cone; No. 10, 
Gassed, Mercerized and Colored Yarns on a Cone. 



[ 106 ] 






GRADES AND CLASSIFIED LISTS 

of 

COTTON YARNS 

made by 

THE MANOMET MILLS 

THE NONQUITT SPINNING COMPANY 

THE ACADIA MILLS 

Part 1. Description of Grades by Mill brands. 

Part 2. Classified list showing Grades, Counts and Put-ups 
for Knitting, Weaving, Webbing and Tire Trades 



M -e^^ 



MANOMET MILLS 

DESCRIPTION OF GRADES 

BB Grade: Made from Combed American Cotton. Mule-spun. 
In Nos. 4 to 30 in single and ply, put up on cops, cones, tubes and 
in skeins. 

CC Grade: Made from Combed American Cotton (same grade 
as BB) . Frame-spun. In Nos. 4 to 30 in single and ply, put up on 
cones, tubes, skeins, ball-warps and section beams. 

TE Grade: Made from Combed Egyptian Cotton. Frame-spun. 
In Nos. 4 to 30 in single and ply, put up on cones, tubes, skeins, 
ball-warps and section beams. 

SS Grade: Made from Combed Sakellarides Cotton. Frame-spun. 
In Nos. 4 to 30 in single and ply, put up on cones, tubes, skeins, 
ball-warps and section beams. 

PC Grade: Made from specially cleaned and selected Combed 
American Cotton for the manufacture of pirn cops, to be used in 
filling for the silk trade. Mule-spun. In Nos. 10 to 30 in single, 
on through cop tubes. 

Any and all of these mills make special counts, plies, and put-ups on request when- 
ever there is business sufficient to warrant it, and ivill quote special prices. 




A Card Room in the Manomet Mills. All cards are driven from shafting placed under the 

FLOOR, thus eliminating OVERHEAD DRIVES, WITH THEIR DANGER OF DRIPPING OIL, DUST, LINT, ETC. 



[108] 



MANOMET MILLS 

FOR TIRE PURPOSES 

CC Grade: Made from Combed American Cotton. Frame-spun. 
Counts 20—1, 22^-1. Delivered on tubes or section beams. 

DD Grade : Made from Combed American Cotton but longer staple 
than CC Frame-spun. Counts 20-1, 22^-1. Delivered on tubes 
or section beams. 

TE Grade: Made from Combed Egyptian Cotton. Frame-spun. 
Counts 20—1, 22%— 1. Delivered on tubes or section beams. 

PE Grade: Made from Combed Peruvian Egyptian Cotton. Frame- 
spun. Counts 20—1, 22%^-l. Delivered on tubes or section beams. 

SS Grade: Made from Combed Sakellarides Cotton. Frame-spun. 
Counts 20—1, 22%— 1. Delivered on tubes or section beams. 

TK Grade: Made from Carded Egyptian Cotton. Frame-spun. 
Counts 20-1, 22%— 1. Delivered on tubes or section beams. 

PK Grade: Made from Carded Peruvian Egyptian Cotton. Frame- 
spun. Counts 20—1, 22%-l. Delivered on tubes or section beams. 

Any and all of these mills make special counts, plies, and put-ups on request when- 
ever there is business sufficient to u arrant it, and will quote special prices. 




All the iarns .xnni; by this mill are combed yarns. To ensire the best possible quality 

MATERIAL FOR THE COMBS THE PREVIOUS CARDING IS UNUSUALLY EXHAUSTIVE. ThE MaNOMET 

Mills combing plant is the largest in the United States, and is believed to 
be the largest in the world, so far as 01 r latest figures go 



[109] 



NONQUITT SPINNING COMPANY 

DESCRIPTION OF GRADES 

SA Grade: Made from staple, selected, Combed American Cotton. 
Frame-spun. In Nos. 26 to 40 in single and ply, put up on cones, 
tubes, skeins, ball-warps and section beams. 

SAE Grade: Made from Combed American Cotton of longer 
staple than the 5^. Frame-spun. In Nos. 35 to 60 in single and ply, 
put up on cones, tubes, skeins, ball-warps and section beams. 

A Grade: Made from Combed American Cotton of longer staple 
than the SAE. Frame-spun. In Nos. 50 to 70 in single and ply, 
put up on cones, tubes, skeins, ball-warps and section beams. 

AX Grade : Made from Combed American Cotton of longer staple 
than the y4. Frame-spun. In Nos. 60 to 80 in single and ply, put up 
on cones, tubes, skeins, ball-warps and section beams. For yarns of 
super quality. 

EE Grade: Made from Combed Egyptian Cotton of long staple. 
Frame-spun. In Nos. 30 to 60 in single and ply, put up on cones, 
tubes, skeins, ball-warps and section beams. 

TYR Grade: Made from Combed Sakellarides Cotton. Frame- 
spun. In Nos. 30 to 100 in single and ply, put up on cones, tubes, 
skeins, ball-warps and section beams. Used for yarns where strength 
or very fine count is required. 



Any and all of these mills make special counts, plies, and put-ups on request, when- 
ever there is business sufficient to warrant it, and ivill quote special prices. 



[110] 



ACADIA MILLS 

MERCERIZED YARNS 

BM Grade: Made from Combed American Cotton. Frame-spun. 
In Nos. 3 to 26 in ply. Mercerized in natural color and in bleached 
or dyed, gassed or ungassed. Put up on cones, tubes, skeins and 
ball-warps. 

XM Grade: Made from Combed American Cotton, longer in 
staple than the BM. Frame-spun. In Nos. 26 to 40 in ply. Mercer- 
ized, in natural color and in bleached or dyed, gassed or ungassed. 
Put up on cones, tubes, skeins and ball-warps. Also in No. 30 in 
single. Mercerized, in natural color and bleached or dyed, on cones. 

AM Grade: Made from Combed American Cotton, longer in 
staple than the XM. Frame-spun. In Nos. 10 to 70 in ply. Mer- 
cerized, in natural color and in bleached or dyed, gassed or ungassed. 
Put up on cones, tubes, skeins and ball-warps. Also in Nos. 40, 50 
and 60 in single. Mercerized, in natural color and bleached or dyed, 
on cones. 

XL Grade: Made from Combed American Cotton of very long 
staple, specially selected. Frame-spun. In counts, Nos. 70 and 80 
in ply. Mercerized, in natural color and in bleached or dyed, gassed 
or ungassed. Put up on cones, tubes, skeins and ball-warps. Also 
in Nos. 70 and 80 single. Mercerized, in natural color and bleached 
or dyed, on cones. 

XY Grade: Made from the Combed Sakellarides Cotton. Frame- 
spun. In Nos. 10 to 80 in ply. Mercerized, in natural color and in 
bleached or dyed, gassed or ungassed. Put up on cones, tubes, skeins 
and ball-warps. Also in Nos. 70 and 80 single. Mercerized, in 
natural color and bleached or dyed, on cones. 

Any and all of these mills make special counts, plies, and put-ups on request, tvhen- 
ever there is business sufficient to u arrant it. and will quote special prices. 



[Ill] 



ACADIA MILLS 

BLEACHED YARNS 

BM Grade: Made from Combed American Cotton. Frame-spun. 
In Nos. 10 to 24 in single and to No. 26 in ply. Bleached or dyed, 
gassed or ungassed. Put up on cones, tubes, skeins and ball-warps. 

CP Grade: Made from Combed American Cotton of longer staple 
than the BM. Frame-spun. In Nos. 25 to 30 in single, and to No. 40 
in ply. Bleached or dyed, gassed or ungassed. Put up on cones, tubes, 
skeins and ball-warps. 

CP Special Grade: Made from Combed American Cotton of 
longer staple than the CP. Frame-spun. In Nos. 32 to 60 in single 
and ply. Bleached or dyed, gassed or ungassed. Put up on cones, 
tubes, skeins and ball-warps. 

XP Grade : Made from Combed American Cotton of longer staple 
than CP Special. Frame-spun. In Nos. 70 and 80 in single and ply. 
Bleached or dyed, gassed or ungassed. Put up on cones, tubes, skeins 
and ball-warps. 

Any and all of these mills make special counts, plies, and put-ups on request, when- 
ever there is business sufficient to ivarrant it, and ivill quote special prices. 



[112] 



THREAD YARNS 

MANOMET MILLS 

NONQUITT SPINNING COMPANY 

ACADIA MILLS 

While the above mills do not make a business of manufacturing the 
full line of thread yarns, they each of them do make a large quantity of 
special thread yarns in the single, two, three and four-ply, regular and 
reverse twist, for the shoe trade and for the manufacturing trade, among 
which are the following: 

Manomet Mills 

SS Grade 

8-V2/I regular twist 
181/2/1 and 131/2/2 regular twist 

NoNQuiTT Spinning Company 

A Grade and TYR Grade 

30/3 and 30/4 reverse twist 
36/3 and 36/4 reverse twist 
40/3 and 40/4 reverse twist 
50/3 and 50/4 reverse twist 
60/3 and 60/4 reverse twist 

Acadia Mills 

AM Grade 

36/2 and 36/3 mercerized and gassed and 
mercerized, reverse twist 

XY Grade 

40/2 and 40 3 mercerized and gassed and 
mercerized, reverse twist 

The mills will be glad to consider the manufacture of any special- 
ties in thread yarns wherever the business is sufficient to warrant. 

[113] 




Gathering the Cotton Crop 



[114] 



M, 'M 



Charts of Combed Cotton 
Yarns 

The following charts show the Combed Cotton 
Yarns made regularly by the Manomet Mills, 
New Bedford, Mass.; the Nonquitt Spinning 
Company, New Bedford, Mass. ; and the Acadia 
Mills, Lawrence, Mass. ; in the grades 
described on the preceding pages 



ws 




The Cotton Grading Room of the Manomet Mills. Light, color, atmosphere, and all 

OTHER conditions IN THIS BOOM ARE PROBABLY THE BEST EXISTING IN THE UnITED 

States for the work of grading and selecting cotton 




View of Roving Room, Manomet Mills. This shows only a part of the great space 



[116] 



SPECIAL PACKING CASES 

USED BY 

MANOMET MILLS 



COP CASES 



Size of Cops 


Gross Weight of Case 


Inside Measurements 


Inches 


Pounds 




Inches 




11?^ Cops 


370 


40 


X21M, 


x31 


1% Cops 


452 


39 


X 241/5, 


X 331/0 


% Pin Cops 


476 


39 


X 241/, 


X 331/2 


1% Cops 


320 


311/4 


x24 


x31i/i 


% Pin Cops 


390 


38 


x32 


x31 


2 Pin Cops 


480 


381/2 


X 371/2 


X 281/2 



CONE CASES 



Size of Cone Number of Cones 
Inches in Case 


Gross Weight of Case 
Pounds 


Inside Measurements 
Inches 


6I/2 144 
6I/2 168 
eVa 1 168 


400 
510 
462 


37 X 263/i X 33 
45 X 341/2 X 231^ 
423^ X 341/2 X 231/4 



TUBE CASES 



Size of Tube 


Number of Tubes 


Gross Weight of Case 


Inside Measurements 


Inches 


in Case 


Pounds 


Inches 


4 


200 


361 


3234 X 32 X 191/2 


41/1 


175 


380 


3234 X 32 X 191/9 


41/2 


165 


350 


323,4 X 32 X 191/0 


43/4 


140 


350 


323/4 X 32 X 191/0 


43/4 


216 


400 


411/, X 26i/o X 261/, 


4y4 


252 


390 


411/0 X 26I/2 X 26I/2 



CASES FOR SKEINS 



Gross Weight of Case 
Pounds 



Inside Measurements 
Inches 



Skeins 
Skeins 
Skeins 



390 
500 
300 



45 X 341/2 X 2314 
45 X 341/2 X 2314 
323,4 X 32 X 191/2 



Special Packing for Export 
[121] 



Mil I. 

Siniil. 
Knitting 



Acucli.t 
Acmli.1 

Acndin 

Anxlln 
Ancli.i 



.■\uy ,lv!.iml , 



w CdVlHKIi CoriON ^AHNS FOR KNITTING, /n (/»• (;r, 









410 30 


■I 10 30 


410 30 


410 30 


410 30 


410 30 


TE 


Manomel 








410 30 


410 30 


410 30 


410 30 


4 10 30 


410 30 


SS 


Manomel 


10 10 30 


















PC 
SA 


Maiiomct 




kilo 40 


2610 10 


2610 40 


2610 40 


2610 40 


2610 40 


2610 40 


Nonquitt 






35l<> 60 


35 lo 60 


3510 60 


3510 60 


3510 60 


35 lo 60 


35 10 60 


SAE 


Nonquitl 










50 10 70 


50 10 70 


50 10 70 


50 lo 70 


5010 70 


A 


NonquiU 








iillti. }1<| 


(.nil. 80 


6010 80 


60 10 80 


6010 80 


6010 80 


AX 


Noiiquilt 




III,,, 1,1, 


l,,,„ 1,,, 


llllo (III 


llllo 60 


30 lo 60 


30 10 60 


30 lo 60 


30 lo 60 


EE 


Nonquitt 




.1(11., IIHI 


Kiln mil 


:iiii.. Ill" 


III lo 100 


3D 10 100 


30 10 100 


3O10IOO 


3010 100 


TYR 


Nonquilt 



Singlo iJinulo i Two-ply 

Bleached or l)laac)ic<l ur Blcdcliod or 
I))oJ on Cono 1 Dyci) in Skein* , Dyo<l on Cone* 



10 to 24 I 10 I 



25 to 30 

32 to 60 32 to 60 

.... 70 and 80 



|ily yiirnn ciiii lie 9up|i]icc] f^iissri! if ilc^ 

PROCESSED 



T«o.|.I, 
Dlescliedur 
Drcd in Skein: 



3 10 26 3 to 26 



All n( till' 1,1 
All llic iiL'tc'iinvl viito> Clin 
iiilH and plim inacli 



wo-jily yarns can be supplied giiHsed if desired 
ns can he su|i|died in bleaelied and ulao in colors, bolh gas«ed and ungasscd 
request, bolli in gray and in processed whenever there is business sufhcient to 



I any grades and in any desii 
Wiltk 



■d iml-iip hrsidrs ihrse staple goods shown he 
n W'hilmtm Cominmyon order 



I he In 



rp 


Acad 


CP Sp. 


Acad 


XP 


Acad 


XM 


Acad 


AM 


Acad 


XI, 


Acad 


XV 


Acad 





MANOMET MILLS TIRE YARN 








Single on 






tS... 


Section Benms 






Coani. 


""■"" 


CC 


Combed 


20 and 2234 


20 and 2234 


DD 


Combed 


20 and 2234 




TE 


Combed 


20 and 22-14 




PE 


Combed 


20 and 22% 




SS 


Combed 










20an.l ^'a, 




PK 


Carded 


20 and 22'- , 


I" joid 2234 









\ 


Uil Pli( 


DLiCrs in 






Single Warp 


Single W.rp 












or Filling 










Skein. 


Ball Warps 


Beiin. 






Counls 


Countt 


Connrj 


Cam. 


Manomet 


CC 


4 to 30 


4 to 30 


4 to 30 


4 to 30 


Manomet 


TE 


4 to 30 


4 10 30 


4 to 30 


4 to 30 


Manomel 


SS 


410 30 


4 to 30 


4 to 30 


4lo30 


Nonquilt 


SA 


26 lo 35 


26 to 35 


26 to 35 


26 to 35 


NonquiU 


SAE 


35 10 40 


35 to 40 


35 to 40 


35 10 40 


NonquiU 


A 


to to 60 


40 to 60 


« to 60 


40 to 60 


NonquiU 


AX 


60 10 80 


60 to 80 


60 to 80 


60 to 80 


Nonquitt 


EE 


30 to 60 


30 to 60 


30 to 60 


30 to 60 


Nonquitt 


TYR 


30 to 80 


30 to 80 


30 10 80 


30 to 80 



COMBKD COTl'ON 'lAKNS KOli WE.WIMj, /„ ,/»• Cray 

wT™#i , I J'"°f''- . I ™''"°SP'>: J'"°X''. J."!;!"'' I ■■'""J'l' Tm-pi, T»o.pir 

W.rpTw,.! I W.rpT»,.t WarpJ,.,! W.rpf«i.t ' So(lT»ut ' SollTtl.t Scll-rt.i.1 SodT.i.l 
Tu^e. Skeia. | Ball Warp, Section Bc.nii Tube. Skein. BallVarp. Section B.sni. 

Counlt Counit I Coiina Counit Couitu Counit Counu 



2610 40 26 to 40 26 lo 40 26 K 
35 to 60 351. 



60 to 80' 601. 



All of the above two-ply 



70 50 to 70 501. 



60 to 80 601. 



[1 be .iiipplied passed if desired 



4 to 30 


410 30 


410 30 


4lo 30 


TE 


Manomel 


410 30 


410 30 


4 to 30 


4 to 30 


SS 




2610 10 


2610 .10 


2610 .10 


2610 40 


SA 




35 lo 60 


3510 60 


3510 60 


35 to 60 


SAE 






50 to 70 


50 to 70 


50 to 70 


A 




6010 80 


6010 80 


60 to 80 


60 to 80 


AX 




30 to 60 


30 lo 60 


,30 10 60 


30 to 60 


EE 




30lol00 


3010 100 


30 to 100 


3O10IOO 


TYR 


Nonquilt 



Coum 



Ball Warp. 
Couars 

10 to 24 
25 to 30 
32 10 60 



aale Two-ply 

iclicd Uleacncd 

Oyed or Dyed 
n Beam. Tube. 



iHO-ply Iwo-ply Iwo-L 

DIcaclicd I Blesclied , Blcacli 

or Dyed ' Or Dyed I orDy. 

Skeins ' Ball Warp. SeclionI! 



-Mcrtcriied , Mereoriicd ! Mercerised Mercerised 
on In I - In I on 

Tubes I Skeins I Ball Warp. 'Section Beam. 



Coai 



Counu : Counu I Counrj 



Counls 



10to24 10 to 26 i 10 to 26 
25 10 30 I 25 to '» 25 10 40 
32 10 60 32 to 60 32 to 60 



10 to 26 
25 to m 
32 to 60 
70 and 80 



10 lo 26 3 to 26 I 3 lo 26 : 3 lo 26 I 3 lo 26 

25 lo 40 : . . . . 

32 to 60 I ... I 

70 and 80 

.1 26 to 40 ! 26 lo 40 I 26 lo 40 : 26 to .10 

40 to 70 MO to 70 I . 10 to 70 , 40 to 70 

. . . 70 and 80 70 and 80 70 and 80 70 ami Ull 

. - . 10 10 100 10 to 100 10 to mil 10 to mil 

All of the above two-ply y.iLn- . n, li. -U14.I1.. 
led yarns can be supplied in bleached ami also ii 
Special counls and plies made on request, bolh in gray and in processed whenever there is busineas sullicient to wnrr.mt it 

Any desired rounts in any grades and in any desired put-up besides these staple goods shown here, ran lie jiiriiished by the 
If'illinrn Whitman Company on order 



A,. alia 
Acatlia 

Acadia 
Acadia 

Acadia 
A.ndia 



1117 1 



[118] 



[119] 



SPECIAL PACKING CASES 

USED BY 

NONQUITT SPINNING COMPANY 



CONE CASES 





Gross Weight of Case 
Pounds 


Inside Measurements 
Inches 


Single Cones Universal 
Single Cones Camless 
Ply Cones 


530 
470 
500 


381/, X 371/0 X 271/2 
381/, X 371/0 X 271/0 
4034^ X 361/2 X 271/2 




TUBE CASES 






Gross Weight of Case 
Pounds 


Inside Measurements 
Inches 


Single Tubes 
Ply Tubes 


430 
500 


351/2 X 331/, X 271/2 

351/2x331/2x271/2 


SKEIN CASES 




Gross Weight of Case 
Pounds 


Inside Measurements 
Inches 


Ordinary Skeins 
Thread Yarn Skeins 


500 
330 


403/4 X 361/, X 271/0 
32 x26 "x 241/2 



Special Packing for Export 



[122] 



SPECIAL PACKING CASES 

USED BY 

ACADIA MILLS 

CONE CASES 



Description of Yarn 


Approximate Gross Weight of 

Case 

Pounds 


Inside Measurements 
Inches 


Single Bleached 1 

or [ 

Single Mercerized J 

Two-ply Mercerized 


350 
400 
450 
500 


42 X 28 X 26 
44 X 30 X 26 
42 X 28 X 26 
44 X 30 X 26 



SKEIN CASES 



Description of Yarn 


Approximate Gross Weight of j^^.^^ Measurements 
Pounds ' I-h- ■ 


All Descriptions 


500 
600 


42 X 28 X 26 
44 X 30 X 26 




Engine Room in the Nonquitt Spinning Company Mills, New Bedford, Mass. 



[123] 



i^r 






Department 

OF 

Carded Cotton Yarn 




l«- 



^ 



CARDED COTTON YARNS DEPARTMENT 

of the 
William Whitman Company, Inc. 

covering the general american market 
as traders in carded cotton yarns 

In this division of their business the Wilham Whitman Company 
act as commission merchants for a number of mills for whom they are 
exclusive selling agents. They also act as general market buyers 
and sellers of the product of many other mills so that through this 
department and their wide connections they are able to offer a line 
of carded yarns of southern and northern manufacture covering 
practically all grades and for all purposes. 

In the yarn which they strictly sell on commission their whole aim 
is, as in their combed yarn department, to have the mills manufacture 
a yarn which shall be of the very best of its class. On the yarns from 
spinners with whom they act as dealers, intimate touch with both the 
manufacturing and selling ends of the market is maintained in two 
chief ways: 

First, through close business and personal connections with some 
250 spinning mills, representing a total of more than 3,000,000 
spindles. 

Second, through similarly close business and personal connections 
with the general users of yarn throughout the whole United States. 

This makes possible the double service on which the department 
is based, a service whose principle is that continuous and profitable 
business relations can be retained only when transactions are equally 
useful to producer and consumer. The wide field of the company's 
business in fabrics of both cotton and wool manufacture gives to 
their clients the advantage of a broad-gauged view of the whole textile 
market and also enables the company often to put before the spinner 
unexpected or uncommon opportunities which otherwise would remain 
unknown to him. 

To the user, the company can offer the results of their own ex- 
perience in the product of the various mills with whom they have 
these connections, thus enabling their clients to meet their demands 
with the best yarns available for their purpose. 

To this same end the company offers to their buyers, when desired, 
the results of their testing laboratories and inspection departments, 
which are equipped to examine and approve all materials under exact 

[127] 



atmospheric conditions. Every carded cotton yarn for any purpose 
is handled, and can be furnished in counts ranging from as heavy 
as No. 4 to as fine as No. 60 both in single and plys. Plys as high as 
66-ply can be obtained in some grades. 

In quality these yarns run through all the grades from the very 
highest grade of American peeler to the lowest grades of cotton or 
waste. While they are made mostly in regular standard warp, filling 
and knitting twists, yarns in all kinds of special twist can be furnished. 

Put-ups cover the whole range, from cones, cops and skeins 
(in soft twist) for the knitting trade, to skeins, ball-warps, chain- 
warps, section beams, tubes and cones for the weaving and other 
trades. 

In southern yarns the company delivers three qualities — A, B and C. 

A Quality is the highest grade yarn spun for the manufacture of 
the highest grade carded goods. This yarn is made out of white 
cotton, evenly spun and evenly twisted. 

B Quality is also made out of white cotton but is not so exhaustively 
carded and, therefore, not so free from specks nor is it as evenly spun. 

C Quality is made from off-colored cottons, and, in some cases, 
from waste cotton. 




[128] 






CHARTS OF CARDED 
COTTON YARNS 

The following charts show the Carded Cotton 
Yarns which are handled by William Whitman 
Company, Inc. Any desired counts in any 
grades and in any desired put-up besides these 
shown here can be furnished by William 
Whitman Company, Inc., on order 



e^* '9;d 

-no dK 



CARDED COTTO 



A GRADE 



Cones 



Ball 
Warps 



Chain 
Warps 



Section 
Beams 



Cones 



4's I ; 4/1 to4plyi 

6's i 6/1 to 6 ply 

7's I 7/1 to 7 ply 

8's I 8/1 to 3 ply 8/1 to 8 ply 

lO's llO/l to 5 ply 10/1 to 8 ply 

12's 12/1 to 6 ply 12/1 to 6 ply 

14's 1 14/1 to 3 ply 14/1 to 4 ply, 

16's 1 16/1 to 3 ply 16/1 to 5 ply 

20's |20/lto2ply 20/1 toSply 

24's 24/1 to 3 ply 24/1 to 3 ply 

26's 26/1 to 2 ply 26/1 to 2 ply 

30's |30/1 to 3 ply 30/1 to 3 ply 

36's 36/2 to 3 ply 

40's I 40/1 40/1 to 2 ply 

50's 50/1 to 2 ply 50/1 to 2 ply 

60's J60/lto2ply,60/lto2ply 



4/1 to 4 
6/1 to 6 
7/1 to 7 
8/1 to 8 
10/1 to 8 
12/1 to 6 
14/1 to 4 
16/1 to 5 
20/1 to 5 
24/1 to 3 
26/1 to 2 
30/1 to 3 
36/2 to 3 
40/1 to 2 
50/1 to 2 
60/1 to 2 



piyj 

ply 

ply 

ply 8/1 to 3 ply 
ply 10/1 to 8 ply 
ply 12/1 to 4 ply 
ply 14/1 to 3 ply 
ply 16/1 to 2 ply 
ply 20/1 to 2 ply 
ply 24/1 to 2 ply 
ply 26/1 to 2 ply 
ply 30/1 to 2 ply 

ply 

ply 40/1 to 2 ply 
ply 50/2 
plyi60/lto2ply 



8/1 to 3 plv 
10/1 to 8 ply 
12/1 to 4 plv 
14/1 to 3 ply 
16/1 to 2 ply 
20/1 to 2 ply 
24/1 to 2 ply 
26/1 to 2 ply 
30/1 to 2 ply 



12/1 

'l6/l' 
20/1 
24/1 
26/1 
30/1 



6/1 to 
7/1 to 
8/1 to 
10/1 to 
12/1 to 
14/1 to 
16/1 to 
20/1 to 
24/1 to 
26/1 to 
30/1 to 



6 ply 6/ 

7 ply 7/ 

4 ply 8/ 

8 ply 10/ 
6 ply 12/ 
3 ply 14/ 
3 plv 16/ 

2 ply 20/ 

3 ply 24/ 
2 ply 26/ 
2 ply 30/ 



40/1 to 2 ply 



We sell cable tubes and skeins up to 20's, for tire yarns and fire 
Any special counts and plies can be furnishec 



SPECIALTIES 

Tire Fabric Yarns 
Yarns for Electrical Purposes 
Yarns for Webbing Manufacturers 
Special Packing for Export 



[ 130 ] 



^VING YARNS 



C GRADE 




y 4/1 to 4 ply 

yi 6/1 to 6 ply 
y: 7/1 to 7 ply 
y 8/1 to 8 ply 
y 10/1 to 8 ply 
y 12/1 to 6 ply 
y 14/1 to 3 ply 
y 16/1 to 4 ply 
y 20/1 to 5 ply 
y 24/1 to 3 ply 
y 26/1 to 2 ply 
■ 30/1 to 2 ply 

36/2 

40/2 



8/1 to 4 ply 8/1 to 4 ply 

10/1 to 5 ply 

12/lto4ply:12/lto4ply 12/1 

14/1 to 2 ply 14/1 to 2 ply 

16/1 to 2 ply 16/1 to 2 ply 16/1 
20/1 to 2 ply 20/1 to 5 ply 20/1 

24/1 to 2 ply 24/1 to 2 ply 23/1—24/1 
26/1 to 2 ply 26/1 to 2 ply 26/1 
30/1 to 2 ply 30/1 to 2 ply 30/1 



6/1 

7/1 

8/1 to 8 ply 

10/1 to 8 ply 

12/1 to 4 ply 

14/1 

16/1 
20/1 to 2 ply 

24/2 

26/2 

30/2 



4/1 to 4 ply 

6/1 to 6 ply 

7/1 to 7 ply 

8/1 to 8 ply 

10/1 to 8 ply 

12/1 to 4 ply 

14/1 to 3 ply 

16/1 to 3 ply 

20/1 to 2 ply 

24/2 

26/2 

30/2 



4/1 to 4 ply 
6/1 to 6 ply; 

7/1 to 7 ply 
o/l to 8 ply 
10/1 to 8 ply 
12/1 to 4 ply 
14/1 to 3 ply 
16/1 to 3 ply 
20/1 to 2 ply 

24/2 

26/2 

30/2 



40/2 



40/2 



4's 
6's 
7's 
B's 
lO's 
12's 
14's 
16's 
20's 
24's 
26's 
30's 
36's 
40's 
50's 
60's 



den hose. We sell two-end regular tubes, for electrical trade 
jer there is business sufficient to warrant it 



CARDED COTTON KNITTING YARNS 





A GRADE 




B GRADE 


C GRADE 


Counts 


Cones 


Skeins 


Cones 


Skeins 


Cones . Skeins Counts 


6/1 


6/1 


6/1 


6/1 


6/1 


6/1 6/1 6/1 


7/1 


7/1 


7/1 


7/1 


7/1 


7/1 1 7/1 7/1 


8/1 


8/1 


8/1 


8/1 


8/1 


8/1 8/1 8/1 


9/1 


9/1 


9/1 


9/1 


9/1 


9/1 9/1 9/1 


10/1 


10/1 


10/1 


10/1 


10/1 


10/1 10/1 10/1 


11/1 


11/1 


11/1 


11/1 


11/1 


Ll/1 11/1 11/1 


12/1 


12/1 


12/1 


12/1 


12/1 


12/1 12/1 12/1 


14/1 


14/1 


14/1 


14/1 


14/1 


14/1 1 14/1 1 14/1 


15/1 


15/1 


15/1 


15/1 


15/1 


15/1 15/1 15/1 


16/1 


16/1 


16/1 


16/1 


16/1 


16/1 i 16/1 16/1 


18/1 


18/1 


18/1 


18/1 


18/1 


. . ... 18/1 


20/1 


20/1 


20/1 


20/1 


20/1 


20/1 


22/1 


22/1 


22/1 


22/1 


22/1 


; 22/1 


24/1 


24/1 


24/1 


24/1 


24/1 


i 24/1 


26/1 


26/1 


26/1 


26/1 


26/1 


26/1 


28/1 


28/1 


28/1 


28/1 


28/1 


28/1 


30/1 


30/1 


30/1 


30/1 


30/1 


30/1 


32/1 


32/1 


32/1 






. . ... 32/1 


40/1 


40/1 


40/1 






40/1 


50/1 


50/1 


50/1 






50/1 



Any special counts can be furnished whenever there is business sufficient to warrant it 



[ 131 ] 



MARY LOUISE MILLS 

COWPENS, S. C. 

While the southern yarn business is, as has been stated, done 
largely either with mills for which the company act as selling agents 
or on the direct method of purchase and resale, there are individual 
instances where the William Whitman Company, either through 
ownership of the majority of stock or otherwise, control the manage- 
ment of the mill and where they can, therefore, put into operation 
the same general principles that they have adopted in the northern 
<;ombed yarn mills. 

Such a mill is the Mary Louise Mills, of Cowpens, S. C. This mill, 
situated in the heart of the cotton growing district, specializes on 20-2 
carded yarn made from strictly white cotton and put up in either 
skeins or warps for the weaving and webbing trade. Here, as in 
-all the other mills that the company directly or indirectly manages, 
special attention is given, first, to the uniformity and grade of the 
-cotton and then to the details of every stage of its manufacture. 
This is done to the end that the company may be in a position to 
offer to manufacturers of cotton worsteds, plush manufacturers and 
other similar trades where good 20-2 carded yarn is essential, a 
product which, because of uniformity of color and quality and superi- 
ority of spinning and put-up, will assure the user of a standard article 
on which he can depend for getting the maximum product and best 
fabric obtainable from a carded yarn of that particular number. 




m 



'm 



Nashawena Mills 

New Bedford, Mass. 




'f^P. 




Nashawena Mills. New Bedford, Mass. The i 







SINGLE ESTABLISHMENT OF ITS KIND IN THE WOBLD 




Jacquard Looms, Nashavvena Mills 



[136] 



m M 

NASHAWENA MILLS 

New Bedford, Mass. 



Capital Stock $3,000,000 

OFFICERS 

Preside/It: William Whitman Boston, Mass. 

Treasurer: William B. Gardner New Bedford, Mass. 

Agent: John L. Burton New Bedford, Mass. 

Clerk: J. Earle Parker Boston, Mass. 

DIRECTORS 

I. Tlcker Bl RR Boston, Mass. 

Livingston Davis Boston, Mass. 

Robert H. Gardiner Boston, Mass. 

Franklin W. Hobbs Boston, Mass. 

William B. Gardner New Bedford, Mass. 

George E. Kunhardt Lawrence, Mass. 

Robert A. Leeson Boston, Mass. 

Charles W. Leonard Boston, Mass. 

E. Kent Swift Wliitinsville, Mass. 

Malcolm D. Whitman New York, N. Y. 

William Whitman Boston, Mass. 

SELLING AGENTS 

William Whitman Company, Inc. Offices: 78 Chauncy Street, 
Boston, Mass.; 25 Madison Avenue, New York, N. Y.; 300 
Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa.; Continental and Com- 
mercial Bank Building, Chicago, 111. 






'd^ Qii 



NASHAWENA MILLS 

New Bedford, Mass. 

WILLIAM WHITMAN COMPANY, Inc. 

Selling Agents 
25 Madison Avenue, New York City 

'Tell us what you want, and ive can make it" 

ALL WEAVES, PLAIN JACQUARD AND 

FANCY WOVEN FABRICS 

ALL COTTON, SILK AND COTTON 

In the Gray 






^o 



GRAY GOODS 

The term Gray Goods applies generally to fabrics which have not 
been bleached, dyed or subjected to any other process after weaving. 
They are sold in the form in which they come from the loom. 

Certain Gray Goods ( such as sheetings, drills and ducks) frequently 
are retailed in their gray or natural state. The Gray Goods marketed 
by William Whitman Company, Inc., however, comprise for the most 
part only those fabrics which are manufactured especially for con- 
verters who have them dyed, bleached or printed before they reach 
the consumer. 

As sold by the company, they fall into two broad general lines: 

Fine Goods and Carded Fabrics 

Fine Goods is a term used by the trade to designate fabrics of 
quality that are made from all combed cotton yarns or from combed 
cotton yarns and silk in combination, the raw material used in their 
construction being the better grades of both cotton and silk. They 
may be of the utmost simplicity or highly elaborate in texture and 
pattern. 

Carded Fabrics are the broad range of cloths woven for the most 
part from carded cotton yarns spun from the shorter staples of 
American cotton. They include such fabrics as print cloths, sheetings 
and drills. 

FINE GOODS, MADE IN THE GRAY BY THE 

NASHAWENA MILLS 

New Bedford, Mass. 

■ This is probably the largest single cotton mill of its kind in the 

world. Like the others of the group, it is self-contained, standing 

alone and making its product from beginning to end within itself. 

At the same time it shares in the resourcefulness of the entire group, 

thus commanding facilities for any need. 

From raw cotton to woven product, everything is Nashawena work. 
Its looms are supplied with yarns, cotton and silk, made in the mills. 
Special yarns that may be required on occasion for unusual work or 
for weaves requiring processed yarns are not drawn from an outside 
market but from sources within the group, insuring Nashawena 
standard. 

The range of product, both in variety and quantity of fabrics, is 
indicated by the fact that in their construction all the many grades 
of very fine long staple cottons are used, while the silks represent 

[ L39 ] 



almost every known kind. They include the raw silks from Italy, 
China and Japan, the processed silk such as the spun silks commonly 
called Schappe, and the lustrous artificial silk which has become so 
popular. 

A characteristic feature of the Nashawena Mills is the degree to 
which they have developed the business of carrying out and protecting 
the ideas of converters. The novelty for which designers strive defies 
cut-and-dried methods, and demands a distinct textile science. A 
specialized organization is needed to solve such problems; and the 
extraordinary number of new designs, involving practically infinite 
variety in both textures and patterns, demands an establishment whose 
plan is one of almost continual renewal by the adoption of new methods 
and new machineries that are essential for keeping up to date. 

Originality, which is the great value of new designs, means the un- 
usual. The Nashawena Mills are operated to cope with the unusual. 
Men and equipment are possessed of "mobility" — the versatility that 
has enabled the mills to say to users of textiles: 

"Tell us what you want, and we can make it" 

It is many years since this declaration was made. Fashion and art 
have put it abundantly to the test. The mills have always "made it." 




Turbines in the Nashawena Mills Power House 



[ 140] 



Men who stake the chances of a whole season or more on special 
designs, depend in unusual degree on the mill that does the work. 

Their ideas must be protected absolutely. 

The perfect execution of the designs must not be en- 
dangered by equipment that fails in being up to date. 

The quality of the fabric must be assured beforehand 
by the known reputation and success of the mill. 

Specializing as they do in this work, the Nashawena Mills can 
produce for converters and others any beautiful fabric in cotton, in 
silk, or in both, in any texture, in any design, and embodying almost 
any idea. Nashawena looms range from 36 to 66 inches in width 
and are of such variety that they can make every kind of plain,^ 
Jacquard or fancy fabric. Many of the looms installed here for 
high-class novelties have no counterpart in the United States. 

SILK AND COTTON FABRICS 

The manufacture of silk and cotton mixed fabrics has developed 
rapidly in this country because it has been found that materials of true 
beauty and permanent value can be produced at lar less cost than 




Slashing Machines, Nashawena Mills 



[141] 



the expensive silks. These fabrics are constructed not to take the place 
of silk, but to supplement the range of silk fabrics and fill a demand 
that has grown with the consuming public. The silk and cotton 
fabric is in no sense an imitation or a substitute. It stands in a 
class by itself, and is represented by a range of beautiful and useful 
cloths that have distinct value. 

The fact that a silk is used makes it essential that the whole fabric 
shall grade up to this expensive component part. There is economy 
in using cotton with silk only if the two materials so correspond in 
quality, though of different substance, that they produce a rich fabric. 
Economy is squandered the moment a cotton in such a textile lowers its 
tone, for the purpose of cotton and silk mixture is to produce a hand- 
some fabric at lessened cost, not a low-grade fabric whose chief merit 
is cheapness. 

NASHAWENA YARNS 

"Good weaving begins in the yarn mill." 

A weaver's skill and honesty may measurably remedy imperfections 
in yarn, but his best efforts cannot transform inadequate yarns into 
adequate fabrics. 

In Fine Goods, beauty is a controlling business factor. If they can- 
not be sold upon their appearance (which means that indefinable but 
unmistakable something that comes only from quality), they are 
"seconds" in effect if not in name. 

A slight defect in a yard of fine yarn may be quite invisible, but 
many thousand yards of yarn go into a yard of fabric. A defect many 
thousand times repeated is not invisible. 

The Nashawena Mills perform every function that enters into 
producing woven fabric from the raw material. All the processes 
of selection and grading of raw material, combing, spinning and 
weaving are conducted; and the mills maintain one of the largest 
spinning establishments in the country though not an ounce of their 
yarns is made for sale. 

Though the magnitude of the spinning operations makes possible 
a highly economic production, the leading object of Nashawena 
spinning is yarn that shall maintain the quality in woven fabrics 
which makes the name "Nashawena" an accepted guaranty. 

SILK 

Because of the importance of silk mixture in cotton textiles, the 
silk department of the Nashawena Mills was an organic part of 

[142] 



the establishment in its erection. All material enters it in the raw 
state and the processes are for the one purpose of supplying the 
weave-room. None of the silk department's product is for sale, and 
thus there is eliminated every extraneous manipulation, such as 
loading. Nashawena silk yarn manufacture looks only to develop and 
retain the best natural qualities, in order to produce silk warp 
and filling of the highest uniform character. From the opening and 
oiling of the raw hanks through every succeeding process, all that 
is done is dictated singly from the view of the textile fabric that is 
to be produced, and for maintaining the same quality whether the 
output be a single piece or a thousand. 

WEAVING 

It is a common saying that the modern power-loom can "weave 
by itself." This is true. It is true that a whole roomful of looms 
can "weave by themselves.'" But they cannot make good cloth 
by themselves. As the products of the old hand-looms varied in 
beauty and quality according to the varying abilities of the weavers, 
so do the products of the modern machineries. Indeed, with the 
speed and vast productiveness of modern weave-room equipment, 
human skill and alertness have become more important than ever 
they were in the older days. 

The Nashawena weave-room has such an expanse that an observer 
at one end can see the other end only vaguely with the naked eye. In 
that space are more than 4000 looms. This imposing mass of power 
equipment does the mechanical work — the drudgery. Unwearying, 
it lays warp and weft far more accurately than the human hand could 
do it. But there its ability ends. Machinery has no intelligence 
and no conscience. It is neither honest nor dishonest. Honesty in 
product, which means Quality, can be obtained solely through honest 
human organization. 

The manufacture of uniformly good textile fabric involves a literally 
incessant war for results. A defective fabric cannot be cured. It 
can only be patched. Prevention is the only cure in a cotton mill, 
as in medicine, and prevention means unflagging human zeal. 

In the trade there has always been more or less reference to 
Nashawena "trade-secrets." It is true that the mills have such 
secrets and that some are most useful. But the truly important 
Nashawena secret is its system. Nashawena quality in product begins 
with Nashawena quality in its workers. 

[ 143 ] 




Office anu Power Hoise, JN'ashawena Mills, New Beuford, Mass. 



[ 144] 




Exterior of Nashawe.na Mills 



[149] 




.sov. Nvs,.,«,svl....Mv l^...H.u>^ M,„, Ks..«s,.,Ht^.KUT^ vs.. su. ok uu.m 



"^ """""^"'^ --vn,.H ...,,..,.„„, T-„„„^^,_ ^, ^, 



BER OK THK LOOMS K.XCKEUS 4000 




A I'viiTiM. \ iiu OF A Wkavk Koom 1^ THi; Nashawena Mills. 



O.NE WKAVK ROOM IN THESK MILL!- HAS FLOOl! MACK 




KiiAMi; Spinning Room, Nashawena Mills. Although the iNashawena Mills manufacture yarn 

EXCLUSIVELY FOR THEIR OWN WEAVE BOOMS. THE YARN-SPINNING DEPARTMENTS 
ARE THE MOST EXTENSIVE IN THE COUNTRY 



[150] 



SOME STAPLES 
Besides the ever-increasing and therefore really limitless variety 
of fancv fabrics, the Nashawena Mills are among leading producers 
of those fabrics commonly called Staples, such as Venetians, voiles, 
crepes, lawns and organdies. 

VENETIANS 

The value of this staple, whether all cotton or decorated with silk, 
depends primarily on its being so constructed as to take a lustrous 
finish. To achieve this characteristic is a problem that involves cor- 
rect selection and preparation of raw material, yarn-spinning and 
weaving together. 

It is pre-eminently a textile that needs intelligent work by all con- 
cerned in producing it in the grav. The effect that the finisher has 
in mind can be obtained by him only if the mill works scientifically 
toward that i?nd. Every kind of finish requires differences of method 
in manufacture. 

Correct manufacture in the gray is essential to make a product 
that can be finished economically by the converter. The Venetian 
in the gray that runs evenly throughout, facilitates and smoothes the 
processes between the converter and the finishing plant, which means 
lessened cost, and gives the customer a fabric that is distinguished by 
a luster that has not only brilliancy but body. 

The Nashawena Mills today market a product that admittedly can 
accept jealous scrutiny in comparison with the famous Venetians which 
have been imported for so many years. The mill Venetians run in 
two classes — single and two-ply. They are made in both plain and 
Jacquard weaves, and in limited quantities with decorations oi silk. 

VOILES 

Nashawena voiles have a reputation so tanuliar to Jju)ers of this 
fabric that it seems merely necessary to say that there have been 
many years of concentration on producing a voile yarn that shall be 
exactly right, and that the mills maintain workers whose tenure of 
employment has made them expert for this ])articular product. 

The good reputation of Nashawena single yarn voiles is not only 
because of quality alone, but because the quality has the commercial 
value of being of uniform standard throughout the whole great quantity 
that is produced annually. Skill in the manufacture of single yarn 
voiles in this countrv has developed remarkably. According to one 
of the best informed manufacturers in Europe, the single yarn voiles 
|)roduced in the Nasliaweiia Mills have no superior in the world. 

[ 151 ] 




Drawinc-in Machine, Nashawena Mills 




Drawing Warf in. Nashawena Mills 



[152] 



CREPES 

The value of this fabric is in the "crinkle*' which it assumes in 
finishing. Unfortunately for the converter, he cannot very well tell 
beforehand, when he buys the goods in the gray, whether they have 
been woven correctly, with yarns of the right resiliency and twist. 
He cannot find out till he has put the fabric through his expensive 
process. 

No amount of skill or expenditure of effort and money can make 
a good crepe out of a gray fabric that does not contain the proper 
yarns. Therefore the purchaser of crepe in the gray has to depend 
on the mill, and any looseness or lack of skill and equipment there is 
likely to be disastrous, lor to make a good crepe it is necessary to 
handle on the looms manv threads of sharply varying character of 
twist, laid in accordance with formulas which often are complex. 
Crepe production in the Nashawena Mills is specialized and many 
of the methods and equipments are exclusive. 

POPLINS 

Nashawena poplins, both two-ply and single, have become stand- 
ards in the trade for the better grades of dress and shirting fabrics. 
Owing to the large number of twisters, two-ply poplins are produced 
in very large quantities. They are noted for the superiority of their 
quality and the uniformity of their manufacture. 

LAWNS AND ORGANDIES 

The mills were planned to make a range of high grade lawns and 
organdies as a specialized part of their product. Their spinning equip- 
ment is such that they can supply the weave rooms with cotton yarns, 
both frame and mule spun, ranging from 60s to 140s in number. 



[ 153 ] 




Silk Qi illkiis. Nashawena Mill- 




Some Silk-throwing Frames, Nashawena Mills 



[154] 



MECHANICAL FABRICS 

This modern term is applied to fabrics of peculiar characteristics, 
such as unusual strength with extreme thinness, non-stretching pro- 
perty, resistance to tearing strain and abrasion, etc. Great necessity 
for such material was created by the war, particularly in the form 
of cotton cloth for aeroj)lanes, balloons and gas masks. Quality was 
a matter of life and death, and the fabrics had to pass tests to which 
no textiles ever had been subjected. 

The Nashawena Mills were perhaps the largest producers for the 
government. According to government experts, the quality of their 
product was unsurpassed by any that was manufactured in that time 
of strenuous effort. To assist in this result, William Whitman 
Company, Inc., established a central testing laboratory with every 
known modern apparatus for both test and research. 

It has been retained as a regular part of the system which serves 
all the mills, and it remains especially valuable for the production 
of mechanical fabrics whose use is developing greatly in normal in- 
dustry. Among these are many cloths which are essentially mechanical 
fabrics although not so called hitherto. Corset cloths, for example, 
require tensile strength as a primary element, and the standard of 




A Section of the Great Silk-warp Room, Nashawena Mills. The silk department ok this 

COTTON mill would REPRESENT A RESPECTABLE SILK MILL IF IT STOOD ALONE 



[155] 




Warp and Tvinc-in, Nashawena Mills 



[156] 




One of the Silk Ri 



I III \ \^H \\\ IN \ Mil I.' 



In TUBES 



Strength is increasing continually. Shoe cloths which take the place 
of leather in certain kinds of shoes, present problems that become 
more exacting steadily as the demands increase for wearing quality, 
strength and other properties that are difficult to attain. Nashawena 
Mills corset and shoe cloths, which always have had high reputation, 
have the advantage of the discoveries and equipments that were 
created by the intense efforts during the war. 

DESIGNS 

As the Nashawena Mills specialize in executing designs and ideas, 
the designing department is. naturally, maintained as an important 
part of the establishment, and its staff is competent to bring out in 
weft and warp the beauty for which the designer strives. 

A controlling part of the system in this department, as in the whole 
mill, is the protection of all ideas. Since costly sales campaigns so 
often depend on the exclusive novelty or distinction of a certain 
design or construction, the mills have developed this particular point 
to a degree where the safeguard is absolute. 



[ 157 ] 




.Mlles at .Najhawe.na .Mills 



[158] 



NASHAWENA MILLS 

Fine Cotton and Cotton and Silk Fabrics in the Gray. All 
Fabrics are made of Fine All-combed Cotton Yarns, or 
All-combed Cotton Yarns in Combination with Silk. 

Voiles for dress waist embroidery and curtain fabrics. Made 
in varying widths, weights and constructions, of single or ply 
yarns, with plain or fancy weaves, or with silk or colored yarn 
decorations. 

Poplins for dress and shirting fabrics. Made in varying 
widths, weights and constructions, both single and ply yarns 
and of differing ply yarns in plain or Jacquard weaves, or with 
silk or colored varn decorations. 

Venetians and Sateens for linings. Made in varying widths, 
weights and constructions, both ply and single yarns, in plain 
or Jacquard weaves, or with silk or colored yarn decorations. 

Lawns and Organdies for dress and waist fabrics. Made in 
varying widths, weights and constructions. 

Plain Canton and Tussah Filled Fabrics. Made in varying 
widths, weights and constructions, in plain dobby and Jacquard 
weaves, with or without silk or colored yarn decorations. 

Marquisettes for dress and curtain fabrics. Made in varying 
widths, weights and constructions, in plain or fancy weaves, or 
with fancv decorations. 

Crepes for kimonos and dress fabrics. Made in varying 
widths, weights and constructions, in plain or fancy weaves, 
with silk or with silk or colored yarn decorations. 

Silk Warp Fabrics for dress fabrics, made in varying widths, 
weights and constructions, in plain, fancy or Jacquard weaves. 

The above fabrics are of more or less staple character and are 
used as the ground-work for many fancy styles made on special 
contract and confined to customers. 

Special contract work is an important feature. 



[159] 



m: 






Katama Mills 

Lawrence, Mass. 




Q^' 



M 
-e^^ 




Winding Machines in the Katama Mills. One of the many steps in preparing yarns for the 

BIG looms 



[162] 



'M m 



KATAMA MILLS 

Lawrence, Mass. 
Capital Stock $2,000,000 

OFFICERS 

President: Hendricks H. Whitman Boston, Mass. 

Treasurer: Walter C. Ballard Boston, Mass. 

Clerk: Frank C. Chamberlain Boston, Mass. 

Agent: John W. Alexander Lawrence, Mass. 

DIRECTORS 

Walter C. Ballard Boston, Mass. 

Arthur T. Bradlee Boston, Mass. 

Louis H. Fitch Boston, Mass. 

Franklin W. Hobbs Boston, Mass. 

George H. Waterman Boston, Mass. 

Hendricks H. Whitman Boston, Mass. 

Malcolm D. Whitman New York, N. Y. 

William Whitman, Jr Boston, Mass. 

William Whitman Boston, Mass. 

SELLING AGENTS 

William Whitman Company, Inc. Offices: 78 Chauncy Street, 
Boston, Mass.; 25 Madison Avenue, New York, N. Y.; 300 
Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa.; Continental and Com- 
mercial Bank Building, Chicago, 111. 



7liJ 1?^ 




The Katama Mills 




Katama Mills. Some of the Twisting Machines. Overhead trolleys convey all heavy 
material through the various departments of the plant 



[166] 



KATAMA MILLS 

LAWRENCE, MASS. 

The Katania Mills were created and are equipped to produce heavy 
cotton lahrics for purposes demanding extreme strength, durability 
and ''massiveness" of construction. 

The concentration of regular effort is on Tire Fabric. The 
dominant principle of organization is readiness to meet the swiftly 
increasing challenges of motorized transportation. 

The mills make Tire Fabric in all serviceable kinds and qualities, 
from Egyptian and American Cottons, both Combed and Carded, in 
all standard weights, widths and lengths, and are prepared to make 
any heavy fabric of any special construction. 

TIRE FABRICS 

Practically every tire made in the United States is sold on one 
single argument — durability. This competition on the basis of 
Quality (the one form of competition that can never be carried too 
far, because it benefits the world increasingly) makes demands on 
the tire-producing technician that would have been considered ab- 
surd a few years ago; yet almost each day sees a further demand as 
one sweeping guaranty follows another. 

To make good these guarantees, the tire-maker depends helplessly 
on the most tenuous and tender of things — the bloom of the cotton- 
plant. To fulfill the manufacturers pledge of mileage and other 
service for his tire, the cotton expert must so manipulate his material 
that from a fluff nearly as fragile as vapor there shall grow a fabric 
competent to defy tearing, breaking and abrading violences actually 
beyond many to which iron was subjected fifty years ago. 

Extraordinary as is the powerful fabric produced under this 
modern stress, its power can be obtained in only one way — by ex- 
cellence in spinning the same delicate cotton yarn as that which goes 
into the most gossamer material. If that original yarn be not as 
perfect as good raw material and skilled manipulation can make it, 
the defect will run through the hundreds of processes that lead to the 
finished fabric. 

Therefore the successful production of tire yarn demands a close 
combination of two qualities — long experience in regular yarn 
making, and up-to-date knowledge and methods that are smartly 
abreast of the modern development. 

[167] 




Warp Compressing Machines, also known as BEAMtii^. I i 

HEWt K(HIM 



III HI (.K WAKl'S FUR THE 




View of a Weave Room, looking North, in the Katama Mills. Note the trolley system for 
handling the heavy rolls of cloth 



The Katama establishment is so situated that it commands both 
these essentials. Itself wholly modern in construction and equipment 
for manipulation and weaving yarn into tire fabric, its membership in 
the Whitman Company group of mills gives it a supply of the best 
of tire yarns. 

Bulk and weight being a formidable problem in manufacturing 
Tire Fabric, the Katama Mills are so arranged with overhead trolley 
systems that all handling is done by power, and the material passes 
through all its processes with complete directness from the original 
yarn to the delivery of the finished fabric on the shipping platform 
whence it passes immediately into the freight trains. The specially 
built automatic looms in many important respects differ from those 
used by any other mill in this field, and like all the Katama 
machineries are driven by individual motors. Their number is such 
as to make this mill probably the largest in the country to operate 
automatic looms on this class of work. 

The time economies thus enjoyed by this modern mill are utilized 
for time-expenditures on what is the vital feature of a tire-fabric 
mill — supervision and continual test. The carefulness of tire yarn 
manufacture and inspection in the Whitman group of mills, has been 
described. Notwithstanding this, a Katama inspection goes over the 
same ground before a yarn starts on its course. Following this, 
the material is under unremitting expert watch through all the 
processes of twisting, beaming, weaving, etc., with the testing- 
departments checking all results. The finished product ready to 
ship must pass three final and wholly separate inspections, each 
covering the entire fabric, a final one being conducted during a slow 
passage of the cloth through the calendering rolls. 

In addition, the central laboratory in No. 78 Chauncy Street, 
Boston, which serves all the mills in the Whitman group, reinforces 
the Katama system with its own independent tests of product and 
with laboratory exploration of ideas for advanced work. 



[169] 



KATAMA MILLS 

TIRE FABRICS 

BUILDER FABRIC 

Carded American Cotlon Comlied American Colton 

Carded Egyptian Cotton (iombed Egyptian ( iolldii 

Comjjed S A K Colton 

CHAFING FABRIC 

Carded American Cotton C(jml(pd Ainericiin Colton 

LENO BREAKER 

Carded American Colloii 

CORD FABRIC 
("ond)cd American ('otion C(jml)cd Egyi>tian Cotlon 

In Widths 48, 54, 60, 72, 84 and <«l inciics 

In Rolls 125, 250 and 500 yards 

In volume large enough to warrant, specialties will he made 



[170] 




Some of the Tkstinc Ai'Paiiati s in the Centhai. Labor \Toitv in the William Whitman Builulni,, 
78 Chauncv Street, Boston 




The Central Testinu Laboratory in the Boston Building ok Wji.liam \\nn\T\N ('ompany. 
78 Chauncy Street, Boston 




Mm -, (.AMI., I •. ('ALLS, S. C. 



[172 1 



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CALHOUN MILLS 

CALHOUN FALLS, S. C. 

'I'he Ca]li(nin MilU. ol Callioun I'all.-, S. C, was incorporated in 
1907, to manufacture staple carried print cloth yarn lahrics. 

The mill is situated in a splendid manufacturing district where 
there is an ample supply of good grade average strict middling upper 
Carolina cotton. The machinery is modern and up-to-date in every 
respect. The mill is equipped with Draper Automatic Looms and 
every other manulacturing facility used for the manufacture of staple 
carded fabrics. .No effort has been spared to maintain healthful 
conditions not only in the niill hut in the homes which the corporation 
has provided for its employees. In addition, the management has 
estafjlished every means to enable the employees to obtain econo- 
mically all their clothing, food and other household supplies that 
they may require, and has made such improvements in the nature 
of welfare work as would tend to make the community an ideal one 
for the employees. 

The mills were planned especially to spin their own yarn from 
cotton grown in the surrounding district and to weave this yarn into 
plain staple fabrics. It has been the aim of the management to 
utilize only the best grades of cotton of the character required and 
to specialize on one or two constructions of fabrics with the idea of 
perfecting their manufacture. The result has been that from the 
time the mill was incorporated it has produced fabrics of unusual 
merit. The gray fabrics of the Calhoun Mills are of as high a standard 
of quality as those manufactured anywhere in the United States. 
The character of the cotton, the quality of the yarn, the careful 
weaving, and the conditions under which the employees work, have 
enabled the mill to produce cloths that are not only of the best 
quality and uniform in quality but of unusual strength and cleanness. 
In fact, for certain purposes where strength and careful sizing are 
necessary elements, these fabrics are preferred. 

The gray fabrics profluced by the Calhoun Mills have won an 
enviable reputation in the trade and command a preference in the 
market. They are sold to the converters who bleach, dye or print 
them into many different cloths. The finished fabrics in their dif- 
ferent forms are user! in almost ever\ kind ol cotton article. 



[174] 



(jori'ON s'I'()ka(;k 

Belleville Wurclioiisc dotn/ia/iy 
Nkw I»i;i)i (ti!i), Mass. 

\i> iiiccl llicir own needs and also lor <,'ener;d nse lor llie eollon 
indu.slry, iIh; Manornel Mills, INasliawena Mills, iNon(|iiill Spinnin^i 
Company and William Wliilman, in 1916- 101 7 lormerj llie I'xileville 
Warehouse (Company wliieli erecl(;d a (ire-prool. Hal slah, nitdoKcd 
concrete 8-slory huilding willi 750,000 s(|uare jeel sloraj^e area lor 
receiving, storing and delivering cotton and other mereliamhse. It 
enables mills to hiiy and keep on hanri su[)plies ol cotton lor hihire 
requirements and thus assure themselves of their raw material in limes 
of uncertain shipping and delivery conditions. 

Negotiable warehouse n;ceipts will Ix; lurnislied on which loans 
may he ohtain(;d under lavorahle terms, thus rerlucing the carrying 
charges to a minimum. 

A railroad siding, with a cafiacity ol ihirly-onc cars, runs the en- 
tire length ol llic liiiildin;:. Adjaei'ril lo llii- aiding is a covered 
platform, ciglil led wide lor loailing ami iinloaditig. KIcvalors and 




iJKi.i.i.vir.i.i. Waiii.>i<>(,->i. 

Lcn(!tli 'XA feci; wiHtli IW feel; utoraKi- an-u 750,000 (iiiiarif d-d; (li.or loail I.',0 pnutiilH per 
squari; foot; HJflinK capacily -ii card; H clevalom; 4 wliip tioiHln; 4 «piral clnilirii; 8 ilairwayn. 

The cormlrufliori (:onlain» r.O.(KX) l<arr.-U of fernent. I.VJO loim of kK-.I. I.OOII.OOO l.oar.l f.-.| „l 
lumlicr. 



[J73J 



whip hoists handle the merchandise quickly. Carloads of goods billed 
"Care of the Belleville Warehouse Company"' arrive at the siding 
free of switching charges. Carloads of cotton arriving by boat at 
the New England Steamship Company's wharf at New Berlford may 
be shipped to the Belleville Warehouse at low cost. 

The warehouse is equipped with sprinklers and divided into units 
on each floor by fireproof partitions. It is divided on each iloor into 
sixteen sections each served by elevators and whip hoists for receiving 
cotton and by spiral chutes for delivery. The sections are numbered 
and the bays of each section are lettered. Consignments are kept 
together and received, stored, weighed, tagged and recorded under 
the best warehousing methods, keeping close record of every bale. 




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[176 J 



X HE object of this book has been to state the character 
that dictates the quality standards of the WilUam Whitman 
Company, Inc., organization and to indicate in a broad way 
how the standards are realized in finished product. It is 
impossible in any work of this kind to give a detailed descrip- 
tion of the goods the various mills regularly manufacture 
or those other goods that they could, if necessary, rapidly 
turn their machinery to in times of stress or national emer- 
gency such as the late war, at which time, through a 
correlation of the various plants and the numerous textile 
connections of the Company they were able and did offer 
to the Government, rapidly and in large volume, textile 
goods covering nearly all the national requirements. The 
mills, furnished as they are with every known form of useful 
equipment installed for large production, togetlier with the 
correlated business organization of the Company and its 
mills, place the Companv in an unusually strong j)osition to 
meet individual or national needs either for the standard 
goods which they ordinarily make or for special goods to 
meet emergencies or special requirements of the trade. 







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[177] 



BARTLI'.TT 
( )RR PRK.SS I' 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

ilLlliililill 114111 

018 374 131 7 



